[Vision2020] Erickson on UI's Short List

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (February 7, 2006) Spokesman Review with my apologies to Mr.
Carscallen for doubting Dennis Erickson's potential selection to replace
Nick Holt.

This only leaves one question:  What will Carl and Angelina name their love
child?

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Erickson on UI's short list 
Vandals to move quickly to replace Holt

Glenn Kasses and Jim Meehan
Staff writers
February 7, 2006

MOSCOW - Well before saying its official goodbye to departing head football
coach Nick Holt, the University of Idaho started the search for his
replacement.

It's one the Vandals hope will include former head coach Dennis Erickson.
Erickson's interest level is in question, and he might have NFL
opportunities still available.

Idaho athletic director Rob Spear said Monday in a news conference he began
putting together contingency plans two weeks ago and has already started the
interview process.

Montana State head coach Mike Kramer interviewed Monday, and current Idaho
assistant head coach Jeff Mills will interview later this week with Holt's
endorsement. Erickson is not yet scheduled to interview, and he did not
return multiple calls from The Spokesman-Review.

Names that could surface include Washington offensive coordinator Tim
Lappano and Arizona assistant coach Kasey Dunn. 

Kramer, Lappano and Dunn are all former Idaho players.

Shortly before Spear took the microphone, Holt spoke for a few minutes, then
left the room without taking questions.

"Two years ago when we first got here this job was not a very good job.
Nobody wanted it," Holt said. 

"The program was in shambles. . Now I think everything is better. After two
years, this job is a great job."

But Holt never offered a reason for leaving Idaho and taking an assistant
coaching job with the St. Louis Rams under close friend Scott Linehan. Holt
also received a substantial raise from his 2005-06 salary of $205,000.

"He told me that it's Scott Linehan," Spear said. "(He's) the reason he's
leaving."

Both Spear and UI president Tim White underscored the importance of making a
quick hire, with Spear indicating the Vandals would be ready to announce a
new coach in 5 to 10 days.

"We are committed to moving thoughtfully and quickly to hiring a new head
coach," White said. "We are not looking for a placeholder coach. We are
looking for a coach who has had success at the college level."

Erickson is the most prominent name on Idaho's short list, with NFL head
coaching stops in Seattle and San Francisco behind him. The 58-year-old
turned around Idaho's fortunes as head coach from 1982-85, and also coached
Washington State for two years before leading Miami (Fla.) to national
championships in 1989 and 1991. 

"If it proceeded in (Erickson's) direction, we look back to the early 1980s
as far as tradition and success of this modern era and that can be directly
attributed to what Coach Erickson did and what we're trying to re-establish
here," said Mills, who declined to comment when asked about his own
candidacy. 

"From most people's perspective, if it worked out that he came back as the
head coach it would be outstanding for this program," Mills added.

The new head coach will have to work with Holt's players and possibly some
or most of his assistant coaches as well.

Just last week, Idaho welcomed a new recruiting class and Holt said one of
the main selling points to his new recruits was the continuity on the
coaching staff.

Monday, Spear was asked if the Vandals would release players from their
letters of intent.

"When student-athletes commit, they commit to a university," he said. "And
they committed to the University of Idaho."

One of those recruits, Mead senior Paul Senescall, said he had no desire to
switch schools.

"I didn't just go there for Coach Holt," Senescall said. "I'm still certain
it will be a good place for me. It's a business, and you never know, any of
them (coaches) might leave any day. Whoever they bring in, it'll be OK. I
just have to play football."

The Vandals do have two other openings on their staff. Running backs coach
Joel Thomas recently took a job with Purdue and wide receivers coach Chad
Brown is now on the staff at Northern Colorado.

Putting a lighthearted note on the events of the last week, Spear said: 

"The nice thing about it is Nick is eventually going to make a heck of a lot
of money. He's eventually going to give that back to the Vandals."

And out of the laughter a voice in the back of the room could be heard
saying, "He better."

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Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly used
up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"