‘I love Criner.’ Retiring at Rocky Mountain, this ‘special’ coach changed lives
When the isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic began to take its toll on Justin Kozlowski, Rocky Mountain High School football coach Scott Criner picked up the phone.
Although his starting left guard was contemplating quitting football, Criner’s weekly calls weren’t about convincing Kozlowski to come back.
“COVID shut everything down, and I remember Criner would call me, if not daily, at least weekly, just to check in,” Kozlowski said. “He’s just a selfless man, and he truly cares for those that he loves. He cares about the development of young people, and his selfless character has made a huge impact on me and will forever.”
After 45 years of mentoring teenagers and young men through the game of football, Criner announced his retirement at the conclusion of the Grizzlies’ 2025 season.
To say the 66-year-old will be a tough one to replace is perhaps the understatement of the year.
“I love Criner, and he’s had a huge impact on my life back in high school,” said former Eagle High quarterback Taylor Kelly, who went on to play at Arizona State and now owns 3DQB training based in Huntington Beach, California.
“I still talk to him to this day, and he’s been a huge influence on my life.”
FOOTBALL IS FAMILY, LITERALLY
Criner grew up in a household surrounded by coaches.
His father, Herb Criner, coached in Idaho for more than 30 years, starting as Coeur d’Alene High’s coach in 1980. He then was a Boise State assistant for four years before moving into a position with the Broncos’ athletic department, retiring in 2005.
Herb Criner, who died in 2016, coached running backs and kickers at Boise State from 1985-88 under Lyle Setencich and Skip Hall before moving into athletic administration.
Much later on in life, he even spent three seasons coaching alongside his son at Rocky Mountain.
Scott Criner’s uncle, Jim Criner, was Boise State’s head coach from 1976-82. His uncle, Walt Criner, coached at Idaho State and was the head football coach at Snow College when the Badgers won the NJCAA National Football Championship in 1985.
Another uncle, Bob Criner, was the head basketball coach at Clovis High and Coachella Valley in California.
“My mom had passed away when I was younger, so we spent a lot of time with my dad’s family,” Scott Criner said. “I was around coaches all the time, and because of that, I love the game of football.”
THE ‘A-HA’ MOMENT
Destiny met Scott Criner under the Christmas tree in third grade.
Knowing his son enjoyed sitting with him on Saturday mornings watching football film and asking questions, Herb bought Scott a present that allowed him to be a part of the fun.
Two players could draw up plays, put the cellophane sheets together under the lights of the game board and roll the dice to see how they fared.
But Scott was a little miffed.
“I end up crying because my uncles, the night before, they were sitting out, and they filled out all the plays and played the game as they were sitting there setting up for Christmas the next day at my grandmother’s house,” Criner said. “So my gift was all set up for me, and it was a little disappointing that it had already been done for me.”
No matter, Criner was hooked.
“I can remember being a third-grader, and my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I got older,” Criner said. “I laughed. I said I wanted to be a football coach. He said, ‘Don’t you want to play in the NFL?’
“I said, ‘No, I want to be a football coach just like everybody else in the family.’”
FROM PLAYER TO COACH
Criner played quarterback at Fresno City Community College, Diablo Valley Junior College and Fresno State before two concussions ended his career.
But coaching was always his future.
His first job was as the freshman boys basketball coach at Hamilton Middle School in California in 1978.
Criner then joined the Boise State football staff as a student assistant under his uncle, Jim, where he helped coach tight ends in 1981.
He went on to spend 24 years as a college football coach, with stops at the University of Cincinnati, University of the Pacific, Utah State, Navy, Northern Arizona, a return trip to Boise State under Pokey Allen, and then Sacramento State.
Criner also coached one year in the XFL with the Las Vegas Outlaws.
In 2000, Criner returned to the high school ranks at Timberline, where he compiled a record of 17-11. He later worked as an offensive coordinator at Bishop Kelly, Capital, Eagle and Rocky Mountain, and his teams compiled a record of 105-19 (84.7%) in his 12 seasons as an OC.
Between his head coaching jobs at Timberline and then at Rocky Mountain, Criner went 82-27 (75.2%) in 10 seasons at the helm, and 187-46 (80.2%) all-time between being an OC and head coach at Idaho high schools.
“He’s a guy that is still a student of the game and figuring out what’s trendy from a scheme standpoint,” Eagle coach James Cluphf said. “So when you go to play them, you can play them the seventh game of the season, but you’re going to see something that game that he hasn’t shown all year, and that’s something that is different than most coaches.”
Criner was a part of four state championship teams, winning as an offensive coordinator at Eagle in 2009, as a head coach at Rocky Mountain in 2015, plus two more championships as the Grizzlies’ offensive coordinator in 2018 and ‘20.
He added state runner-up finishes at Eagle in 2008 and ‘11, and his teams appeared in 10 state semifinals.
“Criner, he’s passionate about football. He’s passionate about his family, and he expected that same passion,” said Kozlowski, who was part of Rocky’s 2020 state championship team.
“I think he’s also passionate about the development of young men. Being coached by Criner wasn’t just being coached about football. It wasn’t just becoming a better football player. He developed me to become a greater man.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Criner admits it will be hard to stay away from football.
But he and his wife, Leslie, recently bought her childhood home, and they are working on renovating it.
He also loves fishing. If you’re lucky, he’ll take you to his favorite spot near Stanley.
He already has trips planned with his wife for next fall.
And his former players know he’s only a phone call away.
“He’s a special human being,” Kelly said, “And he’s brought a lot of joy and impacted a lot of lives.”
