[Vision2020] News Release from ASU

[J Ford]

The following was on the site for ASU Football:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 11, 2006
Arizona State Names Dennis Erickson Head Football Coach
Two-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year selected as the 22nd coach of the Sun 
Devil program
TEMPE, Ariz. – Dennis Erickson, a two-time national champion (1989 and 
1991), a two-time winner of the Pac-10
Coach of the Year Award (1988 and 2000) and the Sporting News National Coach 
of the Year in 2000, has been
named the 22nd football coach at Arizona State University, Vice President of 
Athletics Lisa Love announced Monday.
Erickson’s 148 wins ranks him 12th among active coaches.
“Dennis Erickson has proven both on the national level and in the Pac-10 
that he can compete and win against the
best,” said Love. “When you start looking at his accomplishments, what 
stands out is his big-game experience. He
has been to the top of the college football world with two national titles 
at a proven national power in south Florida,
and then took a program that had not had a winning season in three decades 
on the other side of the country to
a Bowl Championship Series win. He coached in one of the nation’s best 
rivalry games when it was at its highest
level. He has had great success against the nation’s top-ranked teams and 
also handled the pressure of being No.
1. We are excited to work with Dennis Erickson.”
Coach Erickson, who is 148-65-1 (.694) in his 18 seasons as a collegiate 
head coach, is known in the Pac-10 as the
architect of one of college football’s biggest turnarounds when he coached 
at Oregon State from 1999-2002. He led
the Beavers, who had not had a winning season since 1970, to a 7-5 record in 
his fi rst season and then grabbed the
attention of the college football world with an 11-1 mark in 2000, which was 
punctuated by a 41-9 defeat of No. 10
Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2001, its fi rst bowl win since the 
1962 Liberty Bowl. Oregon State ended
the season ranked fourth in the fi nal AP poll and led the Pac-10 in scoring 
offense (32.6 points per game), scoring
defense (18.5 point per game) and total defense (314.4 yards per game). 
Coach Erickson earned Sporting News
National Coach of the Year while the Pac-10 coaches gave him conference 
honors. In addition to the Fiesta Bowl
win over the tenth-ranked Irish, he led the Beavers to wins over 
eighth-ranked USC (fi rst win over Trojans since
1967), at No. 23 UCLA (OSU’s fi rst road win over a ranked team since 1970) 
and vs. No. 5 Oregon in 2000 as well
as a win over eighth-ranked Washington in 2001 (fi rst win over Huskies 
since 1985).
Since entering the head-coaching scene in 1982 at Idaho,
he has shown the ability to beat the best, as Lou
Holtz and Erickson are the only coaches in the past 20
seasons to win three games against the No. 1 ranked
team in the Associated Press poll. He led unranked
ERICKSON NOTES
• Won National Titles in 1989 and 1991 at Miami (Fla.);
only the second coach to win a title in his fi rst season
• One of just two coaches to receive Pac-10 Coach of theWashington State to 
a 34-30 win at top-ranked UCLA
on Oct. 29, 1988, and then beat top-ranked Notre Dame
27-10 in his fi rst year at Miami on Nov. 25, 1989, which
stopped a 23-game win streak for the Fighting Irish. His
Hurricanes then beat rival Florida State 17-16 on Nov.
16, 1991, in Tallahassee to end the Seminoles’ 16-game
win streak. Only three teams have won a road game at a top-ranked team 
since.
He has been in the national picture since moving from Pullman, Wash., to 
Florida in 1989 and taking over the Miami
head coaching job after Jimmy Johnson left to coach the Dallas Cowboys. As 
the 18th head coach of Miami, the 41-
year old Erickson became just the second Division I head coach to win a 
national title in his fi rst season at a school,
leading the Hurricanes to an 11-1 record and the school’s third national 
title in seven seasons which was capped
by a 33-25 win over seventh-ranked Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. That team, led 
by Cortez Kennedy, boasted the
nation’s top defense as it led the nation in fewest yards allowed per game 
(216.5) and points per game (9.3). The
Hurricanes didn’t allow a touchdown during a 10-quarter stretch in the 
regular season and held six opponents with-to a 63-9 record (.875) while in 
South Florida, the best
record by a Hurricane coach.
His 1990 squad went 10-2 and included a 46-3 win over
third-ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Miami fi nished
third in the national polls behind a school-record 482.9
yards per game of total offense, with another school record
set in passing yards per game (324.8). The defense
allowed just 79.7 yards per game on the ground. That
team also received mention as the national champion
by the New York Times and the Jeff Sagarin Computer
Ratings.
The second national title for Coach Erickson came in
1991 as Miami went 12-0 as it won the Associated Press
vote and Washington was the Coaches’ Poll winner. The
Hurricanes shut out Nebraska 22-0 in the Orange Bowl
to fi nish the season and allowed just 100 points all year, as no opponent 
scored more than 20 and only fi ve opponents
reached double-digit points.
Despite the national titles and the Oregon State turnaround, Erickson’s fi 
nest coaching job might have been in 1992
when Hurricane Andrew ripped through South Florida, as several of Miami’s 
coaches (including Erickson), staff and
students were moved out of their homes to Vero Beach (200 miles away) to 
complete preseason drills. Top-ranked
Miami, despite the adversity, won its fi rst game, a 24-7 contest at Iowa, 
and went 11-0 during the year, defeating
three Top-10 teams, including two on the road. It fell to second-ranked and 
undefeated Alabama 34-13 in the Sugar
Bowl. Erickson earned Big East Coach of the Year while quarterback Gino 
Torretta earned the Heisman Trophy, just
the second Hurricane to take home the honor, joining Vinny Testaverde in 
1986.
His fi rst trip through the Pac-10 was in 1987 when he took over the 
Washington State job. The Cougars had been
7-14-1 the previous two seasons and Erickson’s fi rst squad went 3-7-1. One 
year later, the 1988 Cougars fi nished
9-3, won at top-ranked UCLA, won their fi rst bowl game since 1931 
(defeating No. 14 Houston 24-22 in the Aloha
Bowl) and were 16th in the fi nal Associated Press poll, its fi rst Top-25 
fi nish since 1972 (tied for 17th) and highest
since 1951 (tied for 14th). The six-win improvement was tied for the best in 
the nation. All those numbers and goals
were enough to make the University of Miami come calling.He got his start in 
coaching in the early 1980s at the University of Idaho, also where he 
coached in 2006. After being
named head coach on Dec. 11, 1981, he took over a struggling program and one 
season later the Vandals were
winning. He won more than 70 percent of his games in his four years and 
reached the Division I-AA playoffs twice.
In his fi rst season, he led the Vandals to the Division I-AA playoffs where 
they beat Montana 21-7 but lost to Eastern
Kentucky 38-30. He made a return trip in 1985 but lost to Eastern Washington 
42-38. He moved onto to Wyoming
and went 6-6 in 1986 as the Cowboys won games at Air Force and at Wisconsin 
before Washington State offered
him its head coaching job.
He was as an assistant at San Jose State (1979-81), the offensive 
coordinator at Fresno State (1976-1978) and at
Idaho (1974-1975), the offensive backfi eld coach at Montana State 
(1971-1973), Billings High School’s head coach
(1970) and a Montana State graduate assistant (1969) before earning the 
Idaho job prior to the 1982 season.
Twice Erickson tried the NFL after excellent college performances. He took 
over the Seattle Seahawks in 1995 and
went 31-33 in four seasons, competing against the eventual Super Bowl 
Champion Denver Broncos twice a year.
In 2003 and 2004 he coached the San Francisco 49ers and went 9-23 in two 
seasons.
He graduated from Everett High School near Seattle (1965) and earned a 
bachelor’s degree (1970) from Montana State
where he was a two-time All-Big Sky quarterback. His family includes his 
wife, Marilyn, and sons Bryce and RyanTHE DENNIS ERICKSON FILE
PERSONAL DATA
Born: March 24, 1947, in Everett, Wash.
Family: Wife, Marilyn, and sons Bryce and Ryan
EDUCATION
High School: Graduate of Everett High School in 1965
College: Bachelor’s Degree in physical education from Montana State in 1970
PLAYING CAREER
Three-year letterman (1966-68) at Montana State
Two-time All-Big Sky selection at quarterback
NOTES ON DENNIS ERICKSON
• Won his fi rst 32 home games at Miami from Sept. 3, 1989 until falling to 
Washington on Sept. 24, 1994. Those 32
wins remain part of the longest home winning streak in college football 
history, as Miami won 58 straight from 1985
to 1994. Coach Erickson and his staff defeated seven ranked teams during the 
streak, including victories over No.
1 Notre Dame (Nov. 25, 1989), No. 2 Florida State (Oct. 6, 1990) and No. 3 
Florida State (Oct. 3, 1992).
• Coach Erickson’s team have fi nished in the Associated Press Top 25 at the 
end of the year six times, with Miami
earning the No. 1 ranking in 1989 and 1991 and also fi nishing third in 1990 
and 1992. The Hurricanes were No.
15 in 1993 while Oregon State climbed all the way to fourth in 2001.
• Has been the head coach twice in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 match up. His second 
ranked Hurricane squad won at topranked
Florida State, 17-16, on Nov. 16, 1991, while second-ranked Alabama topped 
his top-ranked Hurricanes
on Jan. 1, 1993, in the Sugar Bowl.
• He is one of just two coaches to win Pac-10 Coach of the Year at two 
schools, as he shared the honor at Washington
State with Larry Smith of USC in 1988 and then won it outright in 2000 while 
at Oregon State. ASU’s Bruce
Snyder, the 1996 winner, also won the honor in 1990 while he was at 
California. Coach Erickson also has been
named Coach of the Year in the Big Sky and the Big East.
• He has posted more victories over the No. 1 ranked team (three) than eight 
Pac-10 schools. Arizona has done
it twice, while ASU, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington and Washington State 
all have done it once. Cal and
Oregon have never done it, while USC has done it seven times and UCLA three.
• Of his 18 teams, 14 have competed in postseason play and he has fi ve bowl 
victories.DENNIS ERICKSON’S COACHING CAREER
2006 Head Coach, University of Idaho
2003-05 Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers (NFL)
1999-02 Head Coach, Oregon State University
1995-98 Head Coach, Seattle Seahawks (NFL)
1989-94 Head Coach, University of Miami (Fla.)
1987-88 Head Coach, Washington State University
1986 Head Coach, University of Wyoming
1982-85 Head Coach, University of Idaho
1979-81 Assistant Coach, San Jose State University
1976-78 Assistant Coach, Fresno State University (offensive coordinator)
1974-75 Assistant Coach, University of Idaho (offensive coordinator)
1971-73 Assistant Coach, Montana State University (offensive backfi eld 
coach)
1970 Head Coach, Billings (Mont.) High School
1969 Graduate Assistant Coach, Montana State University
COACHING AWARDS
2000 The Sporting News National Coach of the Year
1998 and 2000 Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year
Two-time National Champion at Miami (1989 and 1991)
Three wins over the nation’s top-ranked team in the past 20 years
Inducted into the University of Miami Hall of FameYEAR-BY-YEAR AS A 
COLLEGIATE HEAD COACH
Year School Overall Pct. Conf. Notes
1982 Idaho 9-4-0 .692 5-2-0 Wins fi rst-round playoff game
1983 Idaho 8-3-0 .727 4-3-0
1984 Idaho 6-5-0 .545 4-3-0
1985 Idaho 9-3-0 .750 6-1-0 Advances to playoffs
1986 Wyoming 6-6-0 .500 4-4-0
1987 Washington State 3-7-1 .318 1-5-1 One year later, 6-win upgrade is best 
in nation
1988 Washington State 9-3-0 .750 5-3-0 Victory at #1 UCLA; fi rst bowl win 
since 1931
1989 Miami (Fla.) 11-1-0 .917 -- National Champions
1990 Miami (Fla.) 10-2-0 .833 -- Defeats Texas, 46-3, in Cotton Bowl
1991 Miami (Fla.) 12-0-0 1.000 2-0-0 National Champions
1992 Miami (Fla.) 11-1-0 .917 4-0-0 Wins fi rst 11 games of season
1993 Miami (Fla.) 9-3-0 .750 6-1-0 Held 6 teams to less than 10 points
1994 Miami (Fla.) 10-2-0 .833 7-0-0 Four wins over Top 25 teams
1999 Oregon State 7-5-0 .583 4-4-0 First winning record since 1970
2000 Oregon State 11-1-0 .917 7-1-0 Pac-10 Co-Champions; fi nishes ranked 
fourth
2001 Oregon State 5-6-0 .455 3-5-0 Defeats #8 Washington, 49-24
2002 Oregon State 8-5-0 .615 4-4-0 6-1 home record
2006 Idaho 4-8-0 .333 3-5-0
Totals - 18 Seasons 148-65-1 .694
ALL-TIME TOTALS
Idaho (6 yrs) 36-23-0 .610
Wyoming (1 yr) 6-6-0 .500
Washington State (2 yrs) 12-10-1 .543
Miami (6 yrs) 63-9-0 .875
Oregon State (4 yrs) 31-17-0 .646
Career Totals (18 yrs) 148-65-1 .694
DENNIIS ERICKSON WINS OVER NO. 1-RANKED TEAMS
November 16, 1991 - at Tallahassee, Fla.
#2 Miami defeated #1 Florida State, 17-16
- Only three teams have beaten No. 1 on the road since this game
November 25, 1989 - at Miami, Fla.
#7 Miami defeated #1 Notre Dame, 27-10
- Victory ended the Irish’s 23-game winning streak
October 29, 1988 - at Los Angeles, Calif.
Washington State defeated #1 UCLA, 34-30
- Only three unranked teams have won road games over No. 1 since this game
WINNING STREAKS OF 10 OR MORE GAMES STOPPED BY A DENNIS ERICKSON TEAM
November 16, 1991 - at Tallahassee, Fla.
#2 Miami defeated #1 Florida State, 17-16
- Ended the Seminoles’ 16-game winning streak
October 6, 1990 - at Miami, Fla.
Miami defeated #2 Florida State, 31-22
- Ended the Seminoles’ 14-game winning streak
November 25, 1989 - at Miami, Fla.
#7 Miami defeated #1 Notre Dame, 27-10
- Ended the Irish’s 23-game winning streakWHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT DENNIS 
ERICKSON
“Coach Erickson is a true players’ coach. You love playing for him because 
he relates to his players well. He is an
energetic and fun guy to be around. As a player, you appreciate him as a 
coach.”
~ Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
Three-time All-American at the University of Miami and two-time NFL 
Defensive Player of the Year
“I don’t just like Coach Erickson; I love him. The most important step in me 
getting to where I am now was probably
him taking a chance on me at Oregon State. Most coaches won’t take that kind 
of chance on a guy with just one
year of eligibility. He had faith in me, and I’ll always be grateful for 
that.”
~ Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
Former Oregon State player, selected to First Team AP All-Pro and three Pro 
Bowl teams
“Dennis Erickson is a great coach and he also has a great deal of 
experience. He is a good person. What I saw from
him is he is a players’ coach with a personality and attitude that meshed 
well with his players. He is able to get the
most out of his team.”
~ Jeff Garcia, Philadelphia Eagles
Played under Erickson with the San Francisco 49ers and is a three-time Pro 
Bowl player
“Coach Erickson is the type of guy who strives for excellence. He expects a 
lot out of his players, but at the same
time, he treats them like student-athletes and understands they’re going to 
make mistakes. He’s a guy who’s big
on second chances.”
~ Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
Two-time All-Pac-10 Conference player at Oregon State and two-time Pac-10 
rushing leader
“Out of all the coaches I have had, he is the only one that knows how to 
really relate to his players. He knows how to
let players have fun, but yet have discipline. If you ever have any problems 
with school, football, family or whatever
your problem is, you can go to Coach Erickson for help. When you go to his 
offi ce, it is comfortable; you don’t feel
like an outsider. You feel like one of the family.”
~ Nick Barnett, Green Bay Packers
Former Oregon State player, All-Pac-10 Conference selection and NFL Draft fi 
rst round selection
“Coach Erickson is smart. He’s an innovator. Offensively, he’ll just cut you 
up.”
~ T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati Bengals
Former Oregon State playerMAJOR AWARD WINNERS COACHED BY DENNIS ERICKSON
Lombardi Award DT Warren Sapp 1994 12th-pick overall in 1995 NFL Draft
Nagurski Award DT Warren Sapp 1994 Finished sixth in Heisman voting
Heisman Trophy QB Gino Toretta 1992 Passed for 3,060 yards on year, 310 fi 
rst-place votes
Outland Trophy DT Russell Maryland 1990 Top overall pick in 1991 NFL Draft
Davey O’Brien QB Gino Toretta 1992 Second Hurricane to win the award
Johnny Unitas QB Gino Toretta 1992 One of several national awards
ALL-AMERICANS COACHED BY DENNIS ERICKSON
Warren Sapp, DT 1994 Consensus All-American and Lombardi and Nagurski Award 
Winners
C.J. Richardson, S 1994 First-team selection by Associated Press
Kevin Patrick, DE 1993 First-team selection by Associated Press and Kodak
Geno Torretta, QB 1992 Consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy Winner
Ryan McNeil, DB 1992 First-team by Kodak, Walter Camp and Football News
Michael Barrow, LB 1992 First-team pick by Walter Camp and Football News
Darryl Williams, FS 1991 First team pick by Associated Press, Kodak and 
Walter Camp
Darrin Smith, LB 1991 First-team selection by UPI in senior season
Leon Searcy, OT 1991 First-team pick by Football Writers, 11th pick in NFL 
Draft
Carlos Huerta, PK 1991 Consensus All-American and hit 157 consecutive PATs
Kevin Williams, KR 1991 Sporting News fi rst-team selection as kick-off 
returner
Russell Maryland, DT 1990 Consensus All-American and Outland Trophy Winner
Maurice Crum, LB 1990 AP, Walter Camp and Football News fi rst-team pick
Greg Mark, DL 1989 AP and Kodak All-American Teams
Mike Utley, DL 1988 Second Consensus All-American in WSU historyDENNIS 
ERICKSON VS. RANKED TEAMS (26-16)
Date Score
Oct. 21, 2006 #18 Boise State 42, Idaho 26
Sept. 28, 2002 @#16 USC 22, #23 Oregon State 0
Dec. 1, 2001 @#4 Oregon 17, Oregon State 14
Nov. 10, 2001 Oregon State 49, #8 Washington 24
Sept. 29, 2001 #12 UCLA 38, #19 Oregon State 7
Jan. 1, 2001 #5 Oregon State 41, #10 Notre Dame 9 (Fiesta Bowl)
Nov. 18, 2000 #8 Oregon State 23, #5 Oregon 13
Oct. 21, 2000 #19 Oregon State 44, @#23 UCLA 38 (OSU’s fi rst road win vs. 
ranked team since 1970)
Oct. 7, 2000 @#13 Washington 33, Oregon State 30 (OSU’s only loss in 11-1 
season)
Sept. 30, 2000 Oregon State 31, #8 USC 21 (fi rst win over USC since 1967)
Oct. 2, 1999 #16 USC 37, Oregon State 29
Jan. 1, 1995 #1 Nebraska 24, #4 Miami 17 (Orange Bowl)
Nov. 26, 1994 #4 Miami 23, #25 Boston College 7 (end regular season with 8 
straight wins)
Nov. 5, 1994 #5 Miami 27, @#10 Syracuse 6 (third straight win over ranked a 
Syracuse team)
Oct. 29, 1994 #6 Miami 24, #13 Virginia Tech 3
Oct. 8, 1994 #13 Miami 34, #3 Florida State 20 (Coach Erickson goes 4-2 
against FSU in 6 years)
Sept. 24, 1994 #17 Washington 38, #6 Miami 20
Jan. 1, 1994 #16 Arizona 29, #10 Miami 0 (Fiesta Bowl)
Nov. 20, 1993 @#9 West Virginia 17, #4 Miami 14
Oct. 23, 1993 #6 Miami 49, @#23 Syracuse 0 (seventh shutout under Erickson)
Oct. 9, 1993 @#1 Florida State 28, #3 Miami 10
Sept. 4, 1993 #4 Miami 23, @#23 Boston College 7 (season opener)
Jan. 1, 1993 #2 Alabama 34, #1 Miami 13 (Sugar Bowl)
Nov. 21, 1992 #1 Miami 16, @#8 Syracuse 10 (second top-10 road win year)
Oct. 10, 1992 #2 Miami 17, @#7 Penn State 14 (second straight top-10 win in 
front of 96,704)
Oct. 3, 1992 #2 Miami 17, #3 Florida State 16
Sept. 5, 1992 #1 Miami 24, @#23 Iowa 7 (season opener after Hurricane Andrew 
stuck Florida)
Jan. 1, 1992 #1 Miami 22, #11 Nebraska 0 (Orange Bowl; wins second national 
title/holds NU to 82 rushing)
Nov. 16, 1991 #2 Miami 17, @#1 Florida State 16 (only three teams have 
beaten No. 1 on road since)
Oct. 12, 1991 #2 Miami 26, #9 Penn State 20
Sept. 12, 1991 #2 Miami 40, #10 Houston 10
Jan. 1, 1991 #4 Miami 46, #3 Texas 3 (Cotton Bowl; Hurricanes win over Texas 
in Dallas/ third in fi nal poll)
Oct. 20, 1990 @#6 Notre Dame 29, #2 Miami 20 (second game against top-10 
team in two weeks)
Oct. 6, 1990 #7 Miami 31, #2 Florida State 22 (ends 14-game Seminole win 
streak in front of 80K+)
Sept. 8, 1990 @#16 BYU 28, #1 Miami 21 (season opener in front of 66,235)
Jan. 1, 1990 #2 Miami 33, #7 Alabama 25 (Sugar Bowl; win and Irish win over 
CU gives Miami national title)
Nov. 25, 1989 #7 Miami 27, #1 Notre Dame 10 (ends Irish 23-game win streak 
in front of 81,634)
Nov. 11, 1989 #7 Miami 24, @#14 Pittsburgh 3 (road win in front of 52,528 
Pittsburgh fans)
Oct. 28, 1989 @#9 Florida State 24, #2 Miami 10 (loss drops Miami to seventh 
in polls)
Dec. 25, 1988 #18 Washington St. 24, #14 Houston 22 (fi rst Cougar Bowl win 
since Jan. 1, 1931, Rose Bowl)
Oct. 29, 1988 Washington State 34, @#1 UCLA 30 (3 unranked teams have won 
road games vs. #1 since)
Sept. 19, 1987 #19 Michigan 44, Washington State 18 (attendance of 103,521)
SUN DEVILS HIRE ERICKSON AS FOOTBALL COACH PAGE 6 OF 6



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