Nampa hires new football coach. He comes with 9 years of college coaching experience

Nampa High hired Dave Sandau as its next football coach, the school announced Wednesday.

Sandau, 33, comes to Nampa with nine years of college coaching experience, including the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a junior college.

He also previously coached at the Naval Academy Prep School, Montana, Wofford, Occidental College and Yuba College. And he was a finalist for the head coaching position at Montana State-Northern last year.

He’s never coached at the high school level, but he said he’s wanted to break into the ranks for years as his daughter, 8, and son, 6, grow up.

“They are getting to the age where they are in sports, and the college level is so volatile,” Sandau said. “You’ve got to move all the time. I’d like to find them a place where they can be long term. My daughter is into competitive cheer, and my son wrestles. I hate jerking them around all the time.”

Sandau becomes Nampa’s third head coach in the past three years. He replaces Jon Choate, who led the Bulldogs to a 7-3 record and their first 5A playoff appearance since 1995 last fall. Choate agreed to coach the team for a single season after the previous coach, Dan Holtry, resigned in June to become a vice principal at Vallivue High.

Nampa wildly exceeded expectations last fall under Choate. The Bulldogs were picked to finish 12th out of 13 teams in the 5A SIC preseason coaches’ poll. But they mounted an underdog run to finish second in the 5A SIC River Division, earning the right to host a first-round playoff game.

It marked Nampa’s fifth straight trip to the playoffs after making it four years in a row at the 4A level. That success attracted Sandau to the school, he said.

“That was really one major reason why I did take this position,” Sandau said Thursday. “… A lot of the time, you see these bigger schools that open up, it’s because they’ve been struggling. I think we can have success right away.

“I met with some kids and parents last night, and I just met with them at lunch today. There are some darn, good-looking kids, some big boys.”

Sandau comes to Nampa with an extensive background as a triple-option coach, including learning under legendary option coach Mike Ayers at Wofford. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M ranked among the national junior college rushing leaders under Sandau the past two seasons. He didn’t commit to running the option full time at Nampa, but he said the Bulldogs will always have some form of it.

The Missoula, Montana, native had only visited the Boise area once before accepting the job. But he said he wanted to return to the Northwest to be closer to family. He has family in Montana, Pocatello and Spokane. And his wife has family in the Treasure Valley.

Sandau emerged from four finalists for the job. Nampa Athletic Director Greg Carpenter said Sandau came with impressive references from college programs and shined in interviews with Nampa staff.

“We could have hired any of the four,” Carpenter said. “But David seemed like the best fit for us. We really liked him a lot and felt like he would fit in with the other guys on staff, and the other head coaches.

“That was important to us. We need a guy who can work with the wrestling and basketball programs because we share so many athletes.”

Sandau’s hiring adds another spin to the coaching carousel in the Treasure Valley. Nine of the 20 schools in the 5A and 4A Southern Idaho Conferences will have a new head football coach this fall.

Eagle remains the last open position.