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    North Idaho College hires Sebaaly as wrestling coach

    North Idaho College has hired Michael Sebaaly as its head wrestling coach, the Coeur d'Alene-based school announced this week.

    Michael Sebaaly
    Sebaaly comes to NIC from Northwest Kansas Technical College, having spent five years at the school. Each year, NWKTC improved on its national finish at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Championships, placing fourth in the team standings in 2019, with two individual national champions and six All-Americans. If that weren't enough, Sebaaly coached NWKTC through an impressive regular season this past year, finishing No. 3 in the final NJCAA national polls, and winning the NWCA National Duals Championship.

    Prior to NWKTC, Sebaaly spent two seasons at Alfred State (2012-2014) as the assistant wrestling coach, where he helped develop three All-Americans.

    Before launching his coaching career, Sebaaly wrestled at NCAA Division I University at Buffalo, graduating with a bachelor's degree in History. He then earned a master's degree in History at Buffalo State College. Sebaaly recently completed his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Southwestern University.

    "The search committee is very pleased with this outstanding candidate," NIC Athletics Director Al Williams said. "Coach Sebaaly has an exceptional record as a head wrestling coach and is known as a hardworking recruiter. We are looking forward to welcoming Michael and his family to Coeur d'Alene."

    Sebaaly responded, "I recognize the expectations are high for the wrestling team at North Idaho College. I take those expectations, which are steeped in the great traditions of this program, seriously. I am honored to be a part of this team and look forward to continuing the program's success, including the popular Tri-State Wrestling Tournament in December and summer wrestling camps."

    Sebaaly takes the helm of a successful mat program led for 22 seasons by Pat Whitcomb, who was fired by North Idaho College officials for undisclosed reasons in January. In a written response after his firing, Whitcomb denied any knowledge of NIC's academic integrity violations prior to an investigation in the fall of 2018. "I refused to resign, as I had done nothing wrong," Whitcomb wrote.

    Whitcomb led the Cardinals to four national titles as wrestling coach, was honored as National Coach of the Year twice and was Region 18 Coach of the Year eight times.

    Whitcomb has been a major figure on the North Idaho College campus as both a successful athlete and coach. He was a two-time NJCAA wrestling champ for the NIC Cardinals in the 1980s. Since Whitcomb was hired as head coach just over two decades ago, NIC could claim 18 individual national champions and 108 All-Americans. He was honored as National Coach of the Year twice and Region 18 Coach of the Year eight times.

    Founded in 1933, North Idaho College is a public, two-year community college located in Coeur d'Alene. It has a total enrollment of approximately 7,800 students.
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