[Vision2020] Kramer Confirms He's a Candidate for Vandal Job

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (December 11, 2006) Moscow-Pullman Daily News -

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IDAHO COACHING UPDATE: Kramer confirms he's a candidate for Vandal job 

By Aaron Wasser, Daily News staff writer 
Monday, December 11, 2006 - Page Updated at 04:06:52 PM 

Montana State coach Mike Kramer is willing to tell anyone who will listen
that he'd like to be Idaho's next football coach. 

Kramer, a Colton native and Vandal lineman from 1972-75, confirmed Monday
that Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear contacted Montana State AD Peter
Fields about speaking with Kramer, and then contacted Kramer himself Sunday.

"Certainly to have a chance like that at a school that's had a very proud
football history and a school that gave me a chance to have a pro career and
a school that has outstanding potential... ," Kramer said. "That's a
tremendous opportunity." 

Kramer has coached the Bobcats for the past six seasons, posting winning
records in his last four years at the helm. He also coached at Eastern
Washington from 1994-99. 

This is the second time in as many offseasons that Kramer has been a
candidate for the Vandal job. Spear told Kramer last season that if Dennis
Erickson, who was officially introduced today as the new head coach at
Arizona State, wanted the job, it was his. 

"(Spear) was very honest with me and told me that if Erickson wanted to be
the coach, he'd hire him," Kramer said. "That's the only time, (I) wasn't
even part of the process in the other years." 

With the recruiting season under way, Kramer said he hopes whatever happens
with the Idaho job comes about quickly. He may get his wish. Spear said
Monday at a press conference that he hopes to narrow the field down to the
top two or three candidates within the next day or two. 

Although he doesn't know his status on the list, Kramer said he wouldn't
hesitate to accept the job if it was offered. 

"It's pretty rare that you get to do something in your hometown and at the
same time do it for something that greatly exceeds anything financially that
you have," Kramer said. "We'll take it one step at a time, first things
first. We'll see how serious Rob is and go from there." 

Without confirming or denying that Kramer was a candidate, Spear said Monday
that he has a great deal of respect for Kramer and what he has accomplished
with a once floundering MSU program. 

"Mike's a tremendous coach," Spear said. "He's done a great job at Eastern
Washington, he rebuilt that program, he went over to Montana State, rebuilt
that program. He's done a nice job. He's very passionate about coaching,
he's very passionate about the University of Idaho. I have nothing but good
things to say about Mike Kramer." 

Spear didn't address any specific candidates, but said he will not be scared
off by big names such as John L. Smith, despite Erickson's decision to leave
for what he believed were greener pastures. 

Smith, who coached Idaho from 1989-1994, was recently fired from the head
coaching job at Michigan State after stints at Utah State and Louisville. 

"There are a list of criteria that I have in mind of what I want the new
head coach here to be," Spear said. "And if they fulfill all that
criteria... those are not reasons to not hire somebody. I want to hire
somebody that has the ability to rebuild, take us forward and to be
successful. If we have a situation in three or four years where that
individual leaves for another program because we're successful, I wouldn't
mind having that problem." 

Spear also said that whoever is hired will have a substantially larger
buyout on their contract. Erickson's buyout of $150,000 was relatively small
among Division I coaches.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Take care, Vandals.

Tom Hansen
Vandalville, Idaho
UI '96

Came a tribe from the north brave and bold . . .

"Here We Have Idaho"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/HWHI.mp3

"I-D-A-H-O Idaho Idaho Go Go Go"
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