After taking a year off from coaching last season, J.C. Isakson is returning to the Argo sidelines. However his role will be a little bit different than before.
The University of Providence women’s basketball program announced on Monday that Isakson, the former men’s basketball assistant coach two seasons ago, will join the women’s program as an assistant coach.
“It feels great to be back coaching,” Isakson said. “Coaching is my passion and I feel really fortunate to be back in the game. It just feels like the right fit. I’m really thankful to Coach Himmelberg for giving me an opportunity to return to the game and doing what I love to do.”
Isakson is no stranger to Argo athletics. Before taking last season off, Isakson spent two seasons as the assistant coach for the men’s basketball program. Under Isakson and head coach Steve Keller‘s direction, the Argos completed a quick turnaround for the program, qualifying for the National Tournament in the duo’s second season as a coaching staff.
“We’re really excited to have him back as an Argo,” head coach Bill Himmelberg said. “It was a great pickup for us. His individual skill development stuff is going to be really good and he also does a great job recruiting. It’s going to be really beneficial to have him join our program. Were excited about what he brings to us.”
After a four-year playing career with Montana Western from 2008-2012, Isakson accepted an assistant coaching position with Glacier High School in Kalispell, Mont. After helping the Wolfpack reach the Class AA state tournament, Isakson returned to the Bulldogs, where he served as the assistant coach under Keller for two seasons. Isakson then accepted a graduate assistant coaching position at Montana State-Billings before coming to Great Falls to reunite with Keller.
Isakson is also the founder of Montana Hoops, a premiere youth basketball program throughout the state. Through coaching teams and running high-intensity camps, Isakson has developed a real knack with skill development.
Isakson stepped away from the sidelines last summer around the birth of his daughter, BlaykLinn. Isakson hopes the return to coaching will encourage his daughter to pick up on some beneficial habits from his team.
“One thing I’m really excited about is I have BlaykLinn now, my one-year-old,” he said. “My wife Bailey and I, we always talked about our kids growing up in a gym and now she has the opportunity to do that. That’s an exciting factor for us.”
Isakson will join Stephanie McDonagh on the coaching staff, who will return for her second season. The trio have already begun recruiting together, and have had multiple conversations about how best to utilize their personnel once next season begins. Isakson is also excited to develop relationships with the team, a majority of which he already knows.
“With this year off I really missed the opportunity to build relationships with the kids,” Isakson said. “Being in the gym, developing those relationships, I really missed that.”
The Argos will return the top seven scorers from last year’s team, who finished 10-6 and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, winning their first game before falling to Dakota State in the Round of 32. Returners include Frontier Conference Player of the Year and 1st Team All-American Emilee Maldonado and 3rd Team All-American Parker Esary.
“This team here is really talented and has a special opportunity,” Isakson said. “Coach Bill has built a perennial Top 25 program. It’s an unbelievable opportunity and I’m excited to get rolling with it.”
