New Coach for Idaho
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:06 pm
I hat this guy who really took the hurricanes a part like Coker is doing now
Erickson expected to be named next Idaho coachESPN.com news services
Dennis Erickson is expected to be named the new head coach at the University of Idaho on Wednesday.
Erickson told ESPN's Joe Schad on Wednesday afternoon that he was headed to campus but that the deal was not yet official.
"You can be successful at Idaho," Erickson told Schad. "I coached there more than 20 years ago and things have changed. We were Division I-AA then. So things are different, but good. I'm excited about getting back into coaching. It was so hard for us to be out of it this past year. I wanted to get back into this so badly."
Idaho athletic director Rob Spear told The Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane, Wash., that he anticipated Erickson would accept an offer to coach the school.
The school scheduled a late afternoon news conference, and Spear said no further talks had been scheduled with other prospective replacements for Nick Holt, who quit Monday.
Erickson, 58, turned Idaho into one of the top teams in the nation at the I-AA level when he coached the Vandals from 1982 to 1985. He went on to compile a 144-57-1 record as a head coach at Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami and Oregon State. His Miami teams won national championships in 1989 and 1991. He had less success in the NFL, going 31-33 in four years at the helm of the Seattle Seahawks and 9-23 in two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, who fired him after the 2004 season.
Erickson said he still receives $2.5 million per year from the 49ers. He was fired with three years left on his five-year, $12.5 million contract.
If he takes the Idaho coaching job, his annual salary will likely be about $205,000.
"It's not about the money, it's about coaching," Erickson said. "I'm a coach. It's all I've done all my life. Making me sit out last year made me appreciate it even more."
Between the two NFL jobs he revived a moribund Oregon State program, directing the Beavers to a 31-17 record, including a school-best mark of 11-1 and a 41-9 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl in the 2000 season.
Idaho has interviewed at least three other candidates -- Montana State head coach Mike Kramer, Arizona assistant Kasey Dunn and Idaho assistant head coach Jeff Mills.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Holt, a day after saying he was leaving Idaho to become the defensive line coach for the St. Louis Rams, had instead been hired by Southern California as defensive coordinator. Holt rejoins USC head coach Pete Carroll, whom he served as linebackers coach from 2001-2003.
Holt, 43, led Idaho into the Western Athletic Conference and compiled a 5-18 record with the Vandals, including 2-9 last year.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Erickson expected to be named next Idaho coachESPN.com news services
Dennis Erickson is expected to be named the new head coach at the University of Idaho on Wednesday.
Erickson told ESPN's Joe Schad on Wednesday afternoon that he was headed to campus but that the deal was not yet official.
"You can be successful at Idaho," Erickson told Schad. "I coached there more than 20 years ago and things have changed. We were Division I-AA then. So things are different, but good. I'm excited about getting back into coaching. It was so hard for us to be out of it this past year. I wanted to get back into this so badly."
Idaho athletic director Rob Spear told The Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane, Wash., that he anticipated Erickson would accept an offer to coach the school.
The school scheduled a late afternoon news conference, and Spear said no further talks had been scheduled with other prospective replacements for Nick Holt, who quit Monday.
Erickson, 58, turned Idaho into one of the top teams in the nation at the I-AA level when he coached the Vandals from 1982 to 1985. He went on to compile a 144-57-1 record as a head coach at Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami and Oregon State. His Miami teams won national championships in 1989 and 1991. He had less success in the NFL, going 31-33 in four years at the helm of the Seattle Seahawks and 9-23 in two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, who fired him after the 2004 season.
Erickson said he still receives $2.5 million per year from the 49ers. He was fired with three years left on his five-year, $12.5 million contract.
If he takes the Idaho coaching job, his annual salary will likely be about $205,000.
"It's not about the money, it's about coaching," Erickson said. "I'm a coach. It's all I've done all my life. Making me sit out last year made me appreciate it even more."
Between the two NFL jobs he revived a moribund Oregon State program, directing the Beavers to a 31-17 record, including a school-best mark of 11-1 and a 41-9 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl in the 2000 season.
Idaho has interviewed at least three other candidates -- Montana State head coach Mike Kramer, Arizona assistant Kasey Dunn and Idaho assistant head coach Jeff Mills.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Holt, a day after saying he was leaving Idaho to become the defensive line coach for the St. Louis Rams, had instead been hired by Southern California as defensive coordinator. Holt rejoins USC head coach Pete Carroll, whom he served as linebackers coach from 2001-2003.
Holt, 43, led Idaho into the Western Athletic Conference and compiled a 5-18 record with the Vandals, including 2-9 last year.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
