Longtime Bishop Kelly assistant to take over Ridgevue High football program
Sean Impomeni couldn’t stay away from football — or the Treasure Valley, for that matter.
Impomeni, who grew up in the Boise area, was introduced as the Ridgevue High School football coach earlier this month. He replaces Tom DeWitz, who had coached the Warhawks since the Nampa school opened in 2016-17, compiling an overall record of 11-42 and a 9-35 mark in 4A Southern Idaho Conference action.
For the past three years, Impomeni has served as the athletic director at Canyon Ridge High in Twin Falls. He was also the Riverhawks’ head football coach from 2014 through 2020, leading them to three playoff appearances and a 22-43 record. He found he missed the sport too much to stay away.
“It gets me back into the classroom and coaching football,” Impomeni said. “I think those are what drive me.”
After playing two years at Eastern Oregon, Impomeni began his coaching career as a running backs and linebackers coach under veteran Bishop Kelly coach Tim Brennan. Impomeni, a 1993 BK graduate, stayed on the Knights’ sideline from 1998 to 2009, helping them to 4A state titles in 2004 and 2005.
“A lot of the coaches at Bishop Kelly … had a huge impact on my life when I was young,” Impomeni said. “Basically, I saw what they did, and I wanted to be that. I want to be a good teacher. I want to be somebody that my kids feel like after they’re done playing football, they want to come back and see me and work with me.”
Relationships remain at the center of Impomeni’s plan for Ridgevue, and building pride among the community will be a key challenge in jump-starting the young program. The Warhawks won just one game last season and two in 2020.
“That’s one of the things that I think is very hard, because there is no town of Ridgevue,” Impomeni said. “… I just want to start establishing an environment that represents good things and people. What’s going to bring the best out in our kids — being disciplined, working hard, family atmosphere.”
Impomeni, who will teach physical education and health at Ridgevue, served as athletic director for one year at Emmett High and coached at Caldwell High before taking over at Canyon Ridge. He said he has started assembling his Ridgevue staff with connections he made over the years at various stops.
“I know I’ve hired some really good guys to coach with me. Guys that I know have coached football and been in successful programs in the Treasure Valley over the last 10 years,” Impomeni said. “… I just think that I’ve got a really good staff that’s going to help me build something beyond just the football field.”
Among Impomeni’s hires are former Caldwell head coach Zach McGee and former Vallivue defensive coordinator Cody Heller.
“I’m not trying to make Ridgevue Bishop Kelly,” Impomeni said. “But there are qualities about that program and their kids that I think I would like to emulate. It’s not just about winning. It’s winning with class and when the game is over, what kind of person are you in the classroom? What kind of person are you in the community? Those are important things to me.”
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 2:50 PM.
