Fanbogs - College Football Weblogs

December 4, 2007

Erickson named Pac10 Coach of the Year

Arizona State HC Dennis Erickson was named Pac10 Coach of the Year this week.

For all the baggage that Erickson carries -- specifically his reputation for jumping from job to job and leaving schools hurting -- you certainly cannot argue that he is not one hell of a coach.

As a University of Miami source said, it doesn't matter what you give him to work with, Dennis Erickson will have his team ready to beat you.

"He's a guy who I thought could take inferior talent and beat you," that Miami source said of Erickson. "He was a guy who always made his talent better with his scheming."

Erickson took the (little) talent that with Dirk Koetter left at Arizona State and had the team in the top five this season. Despite falling back from that lofty perch, the Sun Devils are playing in the Holiday Bowl this year. Erickson has now taken four different schools to bowl games - only Lou Holtz can top that mark with five teams.

And by all accounts, the Sun Devils are thrilled with Erickson so far.

"People haven't mentioned BCS sentences with Arizona State included (in the past)," athletic director Lisa Love said. "That in itself shows the direction we want to go."

Erickson previsouly won the award as head coach at Washington State (1988) and Oregon State (2000).

Posted by Kevin Donahue

 

Comments:

  1. CaneNation said:

    posted on December 4, 2007 10:04 AM — 65.223.143.169 — link — abuse?



    I'm happy for Erickson. He deserves it...he's a great coach.

  2. Cane Mutiny Author Profile Page said:

    posted on December 4, 2007 3:12 PM — 65.12.247.141 — link — abuse?



    Great football mind and recruiter, but not a great coach. He could never handle the pressure at Miami, which is a shame...

    But Arizona State looked decent this year - who knows? They could be on to something great in the desert, until he jumps ship...

    I mean, nothing against Coach Erickson, he coached us to two national titles - even if he had no control over the team and led directly to all this "Thug U" bullshit.

    ---
    It's great to be Miami Hurricane!
    R.I.P. #26

  3. VTBobb Author Profile Page said:

    posted on December 4, 2007 4:29 PM — 76.160.240.10 — link — abuse?



    Cane Mutiny, do you think maybe the younger players that came in under Erickson put too much emphasis on the "Swagger" and forgot about the team? Not trying to take a shot at Miami (you acknowledged there were issues, and VT has had a few headlines) but for kids coming into something like that, I would think you would need an exceptionally strong willed coach to keep them in line. Where as Arizona State probably doesn't have kids with as much attitude coming in. Just a thought.

  4. Zac said:

    posted on December 4, 2007 7:00 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse?



    Well, he must be doing something right. I can only imagine him staring in the mirror, right about now, singing to himself, "There's just one thing I've got to know-oh. Should I stay or should I go, na na na na na na na nat."

  5. Cane Mutiny Author Profile Page said:

    posted on December 4, 2007 9:58 PM — 65.12.247.141 — link — abuse?



    VTBobb - Erickson just folded under the pressure at Miami, I think, in a way that Jimmy Johnson or Schnellenberger never would have. You always here stories about how Erickson took to drinking during his stay at Miami, and finally couldn't handle it any more.

    If I'm a Miami coach during the 80's, I encourage swagger - but keep my team in check. I would've made sure my team left all their attitude on the field and stayed out of trouble off of it.

    That is, obviously, way easier said than done, so I don't blame Erickson too much. I wish him luck at Arizona State and wherever the hell else he ends up...

    ---
    It's great to be a Miami Hurricane!
    R.I.P. #26

  6. c-dogg said:

    posted on December 5, 2007 12:35 PM — 65.91.10.107 — link — abuse?



    Congrats to Coach Erickson. The U still loves the 2 rings you coached us to.

    Go Canes get some recruits!

    RIP Sean Taylor & Bryan Pata.

  7. coondawg1 said:

    posted on December 7, 2007 8:56 PM — 68.114.136.135 — link — abuse?



    Arizona St. is another Pac 10 Fraud. Hawaii destroyed you last year in a bowl game. Bet you wish you never accepted that bid. This year Oregon or Cal or even Oregon St. could have played Boise St. in that bowl in Hawaii but they would not. Keep runnin BCS teams, Boise state is the Kings of the West.

Please note that all comments are subject to the Fanblogs Comment Policy.