The baton has been handed off and the new coaching staff for the Bonners Ferry Badgers has hit the ground running. Greg Kissee was named Bonners Ferry boys basketball’s head varsity coach with Shane Banning as Junior Varsity coach, Jesse Banning as C team coach and Brion Poston as assistant coach for the Badgers.
Greg Kissee along with the rest of his coaching staff are excited to keep the momentum going for the 2025 season. The Badgers are coming into the season with some big shoes to fill; back-to-back state titles coached by award winning coach Nathan Williams. They have some mountains to climb but Greg is confident in his players and the staff behind him.
“Greg has a great nucleus of players coming back,” former head coach Nathan Williams says, “I am looking forward to these players stepping up and keeping Bonners Ferry’s winning tradition alive.”
“I want to keep Badger basketball tough,” Greg said. “We have a pretty tough team, and our goal is to make it back to the state tournament. I couldn’t be more excited for this season. We have a great group of boys that are going to work hard. After coaching with Nathan Williams for the last five years, it’s an honor to be selected at the Bonners Ferry basketball head coach.”
“I am elated that Greg is the new head coach.” Nathan goes on, “He has always been a great person. He volunteered to coach with me the last several summers just to get the younger kids some game touches. His heart is always for the players and his community which makes him easy to support. The program lost some key guys, however, being a head coach has many challenges. The biggest challenge that I can see is does the head coach really care. Do they care enough to hold players accountable, even when you might not be liked for it? Do they care enough to give their summers to camps and tournaments? Do they care enough to do fundraisers, so the players have these opportunities? Being a head coach and doing things the right way is sacrificial and hard. With that said, I believe Greg and his new coaching staff check all of those boxes. They care and will do all these things in hopes to create long lasting memories for the players, families, and community.”
Greg, from California originally, planted roots in the great state of Idaho in 2010. He has been coaching for 10 years at many different levels. He, his wife DJ and their children moved to Bonners Ferry to get away from the hustle and bustle of this big city, slow down and raise their family in a tight-knit community.
The relationships built and experiences had have been integral in the man and the coach he is today. From pee-wee basketball to AAU and now to head varsity coaching, Greg has a well-rounded view of the game of basketball and the necessary ins and outs of every aspect of the game and relationships involved.
“After many years of coaching with Greg, I am honored to be next to him at this level,” Shane Banning says, “I am excited for the season and to watch these kids grow together on and off the court. I love being a Badger and am excited to help grow the culture of Bonners Ferry basketball.”
“I am honored to be a part of something so influential in this community,” Jesse Banning says, “I am so excited to coach with an outstanding group of men that I have had the pleasure of coaching with off and on for several years. I am excited to pour into the lives of these young men and help shape them into the men they will soon become.”
“After more than 20 years of coaching, this is my first time coaching varsity boys. They are quite different than the youngers ones,” Brian Poston says, “It’s fun and I’m just excited to be involved with a group of such hard-working kids.”
