His third Pac10 head coaching job. I wonder what Rick has to say. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061211/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_arizona_st_erickson_9
I looked up Weasel in the dictionary and there was Dennis Erickson. Burboun sales will go up in Tempe, so stock up now before the rush!! 8) Seriously, he really screwed over Idaho. Those guys hired him and gave him another chance based on him giving them the heartfelt "I want to end my career" in Idaho yada yada. They bought that he was honest, and now after 1 year they are back looking for another coach. A pox on ASU and Erickson.
And... <t>He will clean up on thug players. I'll never forget the way that Oregon St team played under that guy. No doubt ASU gets better just how they do it.</t>
8) Nine of the ten schools in the Pac10 are academically superior. The other one is Arizona State. Now they have Dennis Erikson running the football program... We've seen this act so many times, that we can predict everything that will happen...
. <t>we might as well admit Chico State into the conference. They have a better Beer Bong Physics Dept and they are more fun.</t>
In unrelated news, Bob Toledo JO'Co's favorite Bruin coach, has taken the job at Tulane. That guy went from the penthouse of a 20 game wining streak and a shot at the NC, to the outhouse when the Hurricanes exposed UCLA in the makeup game the year the real Hurricane postponed the early season game (was it Andrew?). Then of course he lost control of the players. He certainly seemed to be a creative offensive coach, he's been Rocky Long's OCoord for the last year, he'd been retired since UCLA let him go. Terry
Terry.... <t>Have you seen the report North Texas will hire Dodge from SL Carroll. Easily the top HS program in Texas. That will be interesting to see how he does there if it happens.</t>
Yes it will, there are more than a few Longhorn fans that want him back on the 40 acres eventually. But as we all know from the Gerry Faust days that being a huge success in High School doesn't necessarily translate. At South Lake Carroll he had a number of advantages 1. 1 high school district, Jr Highs, and all teams at SL Carroll ran his system. As a result the kids arrive at Varsity level very ready to play. 2. It is a rich school district. Parents of kids can afford trainers for their kids 3. It is a rich school district, Parents of kids can and do send kids to summer football camps from early age. 4. He has the best of the best in terms of facilities like weight room and practice stuff. All of that gives him an advantage, sort of like Austin Westlake does. Here in Houston there is tons of talent but lots of school districts and each school district has at least 8 high schools...talent gets spread out, at Westlake and Carroll talent is concentrated. Although I have heard that because Westlake is totally builtout for the most part and the new young families are moving further out, that they are experiencing a decline in enrollment. Terry
Being a Niner fan, I'm probably not the best person for an opinion on Erickson. I felt that Donahue (and Walsh) hired him to keep his mouth shut and do what he was told, which he did. He wasn't an effective coach, although the Niners at the time weren't the best situation either. As a Wildcat, I'm not wowed by the hire, or Erickson's subsequent hire of Miami's Rich Olson as his offensive coordinator. Frankly, I'm surprised that a school with an athletic department that has been plagued by incidents such as game-fixing in the basketball program, a cheerleader-turned-porn star, an ex-football player rapist and a then-current football player murdering a former football player would take a chance on Erickson, given the thug personas of some of the college teams that have played under him. Then there's also the continuing innuendo regarding Erickson being a drunk. I think Erickson may improve ASU's stock for the next couple of seasons, but I don't see him building anything in Tempe long term. If he does it will be the first time. Also, if he does have some success and the Cardinals are struggling, watch them make a run at him. Conventional wisdom ostensibly says no third NFL team will give a guy in his (by then) 60's another shot, but it's the Bidwells we're talking about. And just in time for the holidays - Dennis Erickson is coming to town
About Dodge and the UNT job... Wow is he taking a step back in facilities! I think I remember reading that the Cowboys use the Southlake indoor facility while theirs was being built. As Terry said, he's about to step into a totally different world.