Idaho didn’t have to go very far to find Pete Showler’s replacement. Idaho secured Gonzaga assistant Derek Pittman, becoming the fourth coach to lead the women’s soccer program. Pittman replaces Showler, the winningest coach in Idaho history, who resigned on Jan. 1 to take over as sporting director of Eastside Timbers in Oregon.
Pittman will lead Idaho into its inaugural season in the Big Sky Conference.
Pittman spent four seasons as associate head coach of Gonzaga, a position he gained after he resigned as head coach of Arkansas State.
Despite taking over after Showler’s successful nine-year tenure, Pittman will have to undergo a rebuilding phase at Idaho. He takes over a program that went 4-16 in 2013, returning only four players who will be seniors.
“I think my style is going to be different than Pete’s,” Pittman said. “Pete is obviously a very personable guy, had a lot of great relationships in the recruiting world and again hats off to him doing what he had done over the past nine seasons there.”
Pittman’s first head coaching stop at Arkansas State lasted three seasons, going 18-34-7 and taking the Red Wolves to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals in 2009. Pittman thought the time was right for him to be a head coach again in 2014.
“I felt like going through the interview process, getting a chance to meet with (Idaho athletic director Rob) Spear, his vision for not just the soccer program but for the entire athletic department as a whole, it really excited me and made me enthusiastic about the direction of Vandal Athletics and the great things we’re going to have an opportunity to do,” Pittman said.
Pittman won’t have much breathing room when it comes to recruiting. National Letter of Intent Day is on Feb. 5 — interim coach Ashly O’Brien took over main recruiting responsibilities when Showler stepped down. High school athletes can still sign letters of intent after Feb. 5, so recruiting will go on.
“We’re going to hustle, we’re going to get to work from day one and be out there grinding and pounding the pavement to bring in players as far as recruiting is concerned,” Pittman said.
“I can’t help but utilize how the Vandals got their name and it sells, and where that came from, the fact that it’s all about players that have that sense of hard work,” he said. “Just that mentality to go out and scratch and claw for every inch and opportunity that comes their way.”
Founded in 1998, Idaho’s foray into the Big Sky is the first for the soccer program. Idaho will see opponents it is familiar with, having played Big Sky teams Idaho State, Weber State, Eastern Washington and Montana — all within the last two seasons.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Pittman said. “It’s such a great place from an athletic (standpoint), it’s a place that will be able to come in and compete straight away in the Big Sky and compete for championships.”
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]