‘Greatest to ever do it.’ Pickett steps down as Eagle High boys basketball coach
Since announcing his resignation as the Eagle High varsity boys basketball coach on March 25 on Instagram, Cody Pickett’s post has received more than 100 replies.
Many have come from former players, grateful for his guidance and the irreplaceable experiences they shared.
“The greatest to ever do it,” wrote Meghan Boyd, a member of Eagle’s 2019 state championship girls basketball team. “Can’t thank you enough for all the memories and lifting that blue trophy! One of the best moments in my life! Honored to have played for a great coach but an even better person.”
After 15 seasons coaching high school basketball, Pickett told the Idaho Statesman by phone Thursday that he felt it was time to step away.
“Ultimately, times change, people change, players change. The parents changed, admins changed,” Pickett said. “It was just time for me to make a change for what’s best for my family. I get to be a full-time dad.”
Pickett and his wife, Carleigh, are parents to Cash (14), Mayzee (12) and Cruz (9). Cash and Cruz both play football, basketball and golf, and Mayzee participates in basketball, volleyball and golf.
“I understood what I was signed up for,” Pickett said. “But now it’s like, ‘You know what? I only got to see a couple of my daughter’s games.’ So now, I just felt like it was time to make the switch. The timing of it was right.”
Pickett, a 1999 graduate of Caldwell High — where he was a four-sport standout — had a record-setting career at quarterback for the University of Washington and went on to play in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers.
When his professional career wrapped up, he returned to Idaho and set his sights on helping the next generation of stars.
Pickett coached the North Star Charter boys basketball team from 2011 to 2013, helping the Huskies qualify for state for the first time in program history. He then became the head coach of the Eagle girls basketball team beginning with the 2013-14 season, and switched over to coaching the Mustangs’ boys in 2020-21.
“My favorite part of having him as a coach was how much he actually cared about us and how much I enjoyed playing for him,” said Donovan Jones, a 2022 Eagle graduate. “It never felt like a chore to go to practice. I always looked forward to going to practice. And if we ever had anything come up or any problems, Cody was always there for us.”
From his own athletic endeavors to his time as a coach, Pickett has never been a stranger to success. In 15 seasons as a varsity coach, he compiled an overall record of 258-128 (67%), making 12 state tournament appearances.
His teams won six state tournament trophies, made three state championship game appearances and claimed the 5A girls basketball state title in 2019.
At the district tournament level, Pickett guided his teams to five championship appearances, including two wins. He was named conference coach of the year three times and state coach of the year once.
“There’s a lot of good coaches out there, but I’ve been doing this a long time, and I don’t know if there’s anyone who really invested as much as he did, just wanting to make sure those kids were successful,” Capital girls basketball coach Matthew Creech said.
Pickett was known for bringing in inspirational speakers for his teams, giving his players a chance to hear from athletes and coaches competing at the highest level of sport.
One such speaker ended up feeling inspired to coach alongside Pickett.
“I didn’t know anything about Cody the coach. I was gone. I didn’t follow Idaho sports, but I had been a high school coach in California and won two state championships, and was a head college coach and went all the way in the NBA,” said Mike Terpstra, a former assistant coach with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder who served as a volunteer assistant for Pickett for three seasons.
“One thing I learned was that the most important part of things is being able to forge really good player relationships. I think that is especially true when you’re dealing with the high-school age athlete. ... I cared about being with somebody that really, really loved the kids and was dedicated to spending time with them on the court and off the court.”
As Pickett turns his focus to his children’s athletic endeavors, his impact as a coach will remain with his players forever.
“Best coach ever,” wrote former Eagle girls basketball player Janie King. “You are such an incredible role model, mentor, coach and friend. You’ve made such a lasting impact on me both on and off the court. I’m so grateful for all the life lessons, the memories, and the way you always pushed me to be my best. Forever grateful.”
ROCKY HIRES TIMBERLINE COACH
After eight seasons at Timberine, Travis Noble is taking over the Rocky Mountain boys basketball program, according to an Instagram post from the Grizzlies.
The move is pending board approval.
Noble compiled an overall record of 114-87 at Timberline, qualifying for state five times.
