Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Reece Jenkin is Coach of the Year for third time
Colfax Coach Reece Jenkin is surrounded by his players during a game.
COLFAX - The veteran Colfax coach started a stunted basketball season not expecting much, but it ended better than he hoped.
The Bulldogs boys basketball team took the Northeast 2B League championship, and for Coach Reece Jenkin, another league Coach of the Year award. He was recognized a third time.
His junior guard, John Lustig, received a second back-to-back Northeast 2B League Player of the Year honor.
"I really look at that as a team (distinction)," said Jenkin, in his thirteenth year at Colfax. "These kids did a great job dealing with the circumstances of this year and just being resilient and determined. To see the growth over the season was super exciting."
The young team made a playoff run playing three games in five days, leading to the league title game on June 18 when they beat Davenport 68-63.
Jenkin grew up in Reardan. He played in a state high school basketball championship game as a sophomore, before spending two years at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake.
Then he attended Whitworth University for two years. Jenkin's team made the 2003 National Division III tournament but they lost in the first round.
"I've always had a love and passion for the game," he said.
Jenkin likes math and numbers. It led to his position in Colfax as the school district business manager before he ever coached.
Jenkin's career began with two years at the state auditor's office after graduating from Whitworth in 2003 with a degree in accounting and a minor in business management.
He audited school districts and more, while based in Spokane.
The Colfax district called the state auditor's office looking for applicants for an open business manager position.
Jenkin, about to get married, applied, went to his wedding, took off for his honeymoon, and then came back to a phone call for an interview.
He got the job and commuted for a year before he and Bre bought a house in Colfax.
Jenkin recently finished the 2021-22 Colfax School District budget.
"This is definitely home for us," he said. "I feel truly, truly blessed and super, super thankful I get to do what I do."
Business manager is a year-round job. The autumn is particularly busy as well as the spring but the winter is slower for Jenkin.
"As a business manager, I didn't necessarily think I'd be getting to coach with that," Jenkin said. "I love the game and thought it would be fun to coach but I didn't really think I'd get to do this. I've always thought of coaches as teachers, and I never really thought, or had a desire to be a teacher."
Coaching started for Jenkin as a volunteer with the high school program in 2006-2007. Next, he served as the junior high coach.
Then the high school head coach, Juston Pollestad, resigned.
Jenkin applied and was named varsity head coach at age 28.
"I like the combination I have here," he said. "At the higher levels, the business manager and coach combination doesn't exist because I think you're too busy to be able to do it."
Jenkin, now 40, and his wife, Bre, have three children. Their oldest son, Adrik, is a year away from joining the high school program. Daughter Allie is 11 and youngest son Ryker is 8. He was born the morning of the 2013 state championship game. The year before Colfax won the state title.
"Being a head coach, there was a big learning curve for me. But I loved being part of a team," Jenkin said. "I thought I worked hard in high school. I did not realize what that was until the college level. I realized I could go harder than I thought I could go, especially at the defensive end of the floor. I think kids can often work harder than they think they can."
His overall record is 225-100.
"Offensively, it has changed a lot from the first year to now," Jenkin said, noting he used to run a lot of set patterns in the flex offense, which is now more of a motion offense "with the goal of kids being able to play without thinking."
He coaches Adrik's team too, often going to a game on a winter Saturday morning, and in the afternoon, boarding the bus with the high school team.
"I love being in small towns. The teams here get great support," Jenkin said. "Colfax is a special place. I've had some great kids to work with."
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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