Football Notes: Erickson back for another Idaho go

MOSCOW, Idaho — Dennis Erickson returned to the University of Idaho on Wednesday to become head coach at the school that gave him his start and promised to take Vandals football "to the next level."

Erickson, 58, coached at Idaho from 1982 to 1985 before leaving for a string of jobs that included two national championships at Miami sandwiched around stints at Washington State and the NFL's Seahawks.

"I just thought it was an opportunity for me to come back, give back and get back to coaching college football ... my first love," Erickson said at a news conference.

"The challenge here is to win, to compete for the conference championship and to go to bowl games. Yeah, I love it here. I came here because I'm a football coach, and I want to help the University of Idaho become successful."

Some of the Idaho players who watched the news conference from the balcony of a new weight room are getting their third head coach in five years.

Erickson signed a five-year contract worth about $200,000 a year. With bonuses, it could be worth a total of about $1.5 million over the life of the contract, athletic director Rob Spear said. The contract must be approved by the Idaho Board of Education.

Idaho, entering its second season in the WAC, was 5-18 in two years under Nick Holt, including 2-9 last season.

Erickson plans to meet with current Vandals assistants, but said some of his former assistants might join him.

The Vandals' first three games this fall are against Michigan State, coached by former Idaho coach John L. Smith; and Washington State and Oregon State, teams Erickson formerly coached.

Spear said the seeds of Erickson's return were sown last fall when he ran into Erickson at a Coeur d'Alene resort and asked if he would be interested in coaching in a non-BCS conference.

Erickson has been unemployed since the 49ers fired him. 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.

Erickson turned Idaho into one of the top teams in the nation at the I-AA level when he last coached the Vandals. He went on to compile a 144-57-1 record 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 Seahawks and 9-23 with the 49ers.

Between the two NFL jobs he revived a foundering Oregon State program, directing the Beavers to a 31-17 record, including a school-best mark of 11-1 and a 41-9 Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame in the 2000 season.

Notes

• Holt took the defensive coordinator's job at USC, one day after he quit at Idaho to become the St. Louis Rams' defensive-line coach.

• Former Alabama coach Mike DuBose was named head coach at Division III Millsaps in Jackson, Miss., where he had been defensive coordinator last season. DuBose replaces David Saunders, who left to become an assistant coach with the NFL's Green Bay Packers.

• Eastern Oregon has hired Ian Shields, offensive coordinator at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, as coach, succeeding the fired Jim Fenwick.