Allured stepping down as boys hoop coach
Bonners Ferry High School head boys basketball coach Gordon Allured has stepped down for health reasons.
The 56-year-old coached the Badgers for six years, leading them to three Intermountain League championships, three 3A District 1 titles and four trips to the state tournament.
Allured, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 26 years ago, initially considered stepping down at the end of the 2008-09 season.
“I couldn’t pass on the group of kids that were coming up,” he said. “They’re all good kids and talented. I was going to go two more years so I could see this year’s juniors be seniors, but it’s too hard on my health.”
Allured’s Parkinson’s has accelerated, some of it due to the stress of coaching. He suffers from tremors and maintaining balance.
“Parkinson’s is a disease where you get worse every day,” he said. “The main reason I’m quitting is because of the cognitive (issues). I couldn’t remember names and struggle in communication and putting my thoughts together.”
There were times when assistant coach Clint Arthur had to handle huddle talks with the boys.
In his final season that ended on Feb. 27, Allured led the Badgers to a 7-15 overall record and fourth-place league finish. In the district tournament, the boys’ 41-39 loss to St. Maries kept them from going to the state tournament.
“They (the Badgers) were 10 points ahead in the fourth quarter,” Allured said. “It was really, really disappointing. You can’t put blame on anyone. That’s the way it goes.”
The boys played four road games in five nights during the district tourney and had four injured players.
A 1972 Bonners Ferry High School graduate, Allured earned a degree in health science education in Portland, Ore., where he coached middle and high school football, basketball and track for two years.
Allured worked in the fitness industry for 20 years in Portland, including as the owner and manager of a fitness club. He moved back to Bonners Ferry in 2004 and is retired.
Allured is president of the Bonners Ferry Men’s Golf League and the handicap chairman for Mirror Lakes Golf Course in Bonners Ferry.