Ridgevue needed a new football coach. It found one who specializes in rebuilding programs
The Ridgevue High football program has neither posted a winning record nor qualified for the state playoffs since opening nine years ago.
That history might scare off most coaching candidates. Not Gary Thorson.
The Warhawks hired the 56-year-old during a Vallivue school board meeting Tuesday night, naming a man known for rebuilding struggling programs as the third head coach in the program’s history.
“I’m awful at building things. I’m horrible with a hammer or fixing a car. My wife can attest to all that,” Thorson told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview. “But I’ve had some success with the football part of rebuilding some things, so I’m excited to be a part of this one.”
Thorson won five league titles, qualified for the playoffs 10 times and brings a career record of 90-53 (.629) in 14 seasons as high school football coach to the Treasure Valley. He led four different Oregon high schools between coaching stops at Linfield University, where he also played under Ad Rutschman, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
He spent the past 10 years at Sisters High outside of Bend, Oregon, splitting his time between the school’s athletic director position and leading the football team. He went 36-18, won two league titles and took the team to the playoffs five times in six years.
The only year Sisters didn’t make the playoffs was the COVID-altered season of 2020-21, when Oregon played its football season in the spring and didn’t have a postseason.
He previously led Dayton to a 22-3 record, including trips to the state semifinals and championship game in 2010 and 2011, respectively. He also went 21-20 at Portland’s Grant High between 2001-04, and he was 10-11 at Dallas between 2005-06.
Each school saw a quick improvement in the win-loss column. Sisters and Dayton both won four more games in Thorson’s first season, and Dallas saw a two-win improvement.
“This might sound a little corny. But where we live right now in Sisters (Oregon), there are mountains all over of different sizes — some big, some small,” Thorson said. “They are all a challenge to go up. But why go after an easy one?
“You may not ever get to the top. But it’s that ride up there that I enjoy.”
Thorson’s daughter recently enrolled at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, drawing his attention to Idaho. And Ridgevue Athletic Director John Hartz said Thorson’s experience made him stand out among the school’s other job candidates.
“We’re in a good position, and I think he’s passionate about it, to turn us around,” Hartz said.
Thorson replaces Sean Impomeni, who led the Warhawks to a 5-19 record (1-15 conference) in three seasons. Impomeni, 49, told the Statesman last month that he resigned to refocus on his family and life outside of football. He said he was looking forward to his first free summer in more than 20 years.
“Over the years, the demands on a head high school football coach have grown,” Impomeni said. “I didn’t feel like I could be a good father, husband and head football coach all at one time right now.”
