Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson went 179–96–1 as a head coach, 1982–2011, at Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami, Oregon State and Arizona State. His teams claim two national titles: Miami in 1989 and 1991. Share
Four seasons our game records don’t credit to him come from the coach’s Wikipedia article: 1982–85 at Idaho (on file under another coach). They’re marked in the table.
- Record
- 179–96–1 career
- Seasons
- 23
- Schools
- 6
- National titles
- 2 claimed: 1989 and 1991
- Hall of Fame
- 2019 inducted
- Best season
- 1991 12–0, No. 1
Season by season
| Season | School | Record | Conference finish | Bowl | AP final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Idaho * | 9–4 | T–1st | NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal L | ||
| 1983 | Idaho * | 8–3 | T–3rd | |||
| 1984 | Idaho * | 6–5 | T–3rd | |||
| 1985 | Idaho * | 9–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I-AA First Round L | ||
| 1986 | Wyoming | 6–6 | T–4th | |||
| 1987 | Washington State | 3–7–1 | 9th | |||
| 1988 | Washington State | 9–3 | T–3rd | Aloha Bowl W | 16 | |
| 1989 | Miami | 11–1 | Sugar Bowl W | 1 | ||
| 1990 | Miami | 10–2 | Cotton Bowl W | 3 | ||
| 1991 | Miami | 12–0 | 1st | Orange Bowl W | 1 | |
| 1992 | Miami | 11–1 | 1st | Sugar Bowl L | 3 | |
| 1993 | Miami | 9–3 | 2nd | Fiesta Bowl L | 15 | |
| 1994 | Miami | 10–2 | 1st | Orange Bowl L | 6 | |
| 1995–98: not a college head coach | ||||||
| 1999 | Oregon State | 7–5 | 5th | Oahu Bowl L | ||
| 2000 | Oregon State | 11–1 | T–1st | Fiesta Bowl W | 4 | |
| 2001 | Oregon State | 5–6 | 7th | |||
| 2002 | Oregon State | 8–5 | T–4th | Insight Bowl L | ||
| 2003–05: not a college head coach | ||||||
| 2006 | Idaho | 4–8 | 6th | |||
| 2007 | Arizona State | 10–3 | T–1st | Holiday Bowl L | 16 | |
| 2008 | Arizona State | 5–7 | T–6th | |||
| 2009 | Arizona State | 4–8 | 9th | |||
| 2010 | Arizona State | 6–6 | T–5th | |||
| 2011 | Arizona State | 6–7 | T–3rd (South) | Maaco Bowl Las Vegas L | ||
Each season links to the team’s season page; bowls and playoff games link to the game. Conference finishes from the Wikipedia article’s record table. * A season our game records don’t credit to him; its record is the article’s.
Players he coached
Russell Maryland1990 Outland Trophy- Craig Erickson1990 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
- Cortez KennedyNo. 3 pick, 1990
- Darryl WilliamsConsensus All‑American, 1991
- Greg MarkConsensus All‑American, 1989
- Carlos HuertaConsensus All‑American, 1991
- Ryan McNeilConsensus All‑American, 1992
- Maurice CrumConsensus All‑American, 1990
- Micheal BarrowConsensus All‑American, 1992
- Randal HillNo. 23 pick, 1991
- Leon SearcyNo. 11 pick, 1992
Thomas Weber2007 Lou Groza Award
Every player from his seasons with a Heisman top-five finish, a national award, consensus All-America honors or a first-round pick. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licenses; credits on each player’s page.
How his teams did
| Kind of game | Games | Record | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Against ranked teams | 60 | 30–30 | 50% |
| Against top-10 teams | 31 | 17–14 | 55% |
| Against rivals | 28 | 15–13 | 54% |
| Conference games | 128 | 71–56–1 | 56% |
| Bowls and playoffs | 12 | 5–7 | 42% |
| Decided by 8 points or fewer | 63 | 33–29–1 | 53% |
| At home | 116 | 91–25 | 78% |
| On the road | 100 | 51–49 | 51% |
| At neutral sites | 13 | 5–7–1 | 42% |
| As our Elo’s favorite | 145 | 123–22 | 85% |
| As our Elo’s underdog | 84 | 24–59–1 | 29% |
His own 229 games on file, 1986–2011, as played (vacated wins counted, ties as half a win). Ranks are the AP poll going into the game; rivals are the ones either program’s Wikipedia article names; favorite and underdog by our own Elo rating, which reads only scores.
Against other head coaches
| Coach | Record | Their schools | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dick Tomey 1986–2007 | 6–4 | Hawai’i, Arizona, San José State | 10 | |
| Rick Neuheisel 1999–2011 | 3–5 | Washington, UCLA | 8 | |
| Bobby Bowden 1989–1994 | 4–2 | Florida State | 6 | |
| Mike Bellotti 1999–2008 | 2–4 | Oregon | 6 | |
| Jeff Tedford 2002–2011 | 2–4 | California | 6 | |
| Mike Riley 2006–2011 | 2–4 | Oregon State | 6 | |
| Bruce Snyder 1987–1994 | 4–0–1 | California, Arizona State | 5 | |
| Pete Carroll 2001–2009 | 0–5 | USC | 5 | |
| Al Luginbill 1989–1992 | 4–0 | San Diego State | 4 | |
| Don Nehlen 1991–1994 | 3–1 | West Virginia | 4 |
Dennis Erickson’s record against the head coaches he met three or more times, from the games on file, as played.
Most-faced opponents
| Opponent | Games | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Arizonaseries | 14 | 9–5 |
| Californiaseries | 13 | 8–4–1 |
| Washingtonseries | 11 | 6–5 |
| Oregonseries | 11 | 2–9 |
| UCLAseries | 10 | 6–4 |
| USCseries | 10 | 2–8 |
| Washington Stateseries | 9 | 6–3 |
| Stanfordseries | 9 | 5–4 |
National title staffs
Every title staff- Won a national title on Miami’s 1991 staff (head coach) · the staff · source
The champions’ staffs from 1990 on, as the schools listed them that season: Staff lists: Drew Hoover’s how-many-rings (MIT), from the schools’ media guides and staff pages. Roles as the source words them.
Career
| Years | Team | Job | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Montana State | Graduate assistant | |
| 1970 | [[Billings Central Catholic High School high school | job not given | |
| 1971–73 | Montana State | Assistant coach | |
| 1974–75 | Idaho | Offensive coordinator | |
| 1976–78 | Fresno State | Offensive coordinator | |
| 1979–81 | San Jose State | Offensive coordinator | |
| 1982–85 | Idaho | Head coach | |
| 1986 | Wyoming | Head coach | |
| 1987–88 | Washington State | Head coach | |
| 1989–94 | Miami (FL) | Head coach | |
| 1995–98 | Seattle Seahawks NFL | Head coach | |
| 1999–2002 | Oregon State | Head coach | |
| 2003–04 | San Francisco 49ers NFL | Head coach | |
| 2006 | Idaho | Head coach | |
| 2007–11 | Arizona State | Head coach | |
| 2012 | South Albany HS (OR) high school | Volunteer assistant | |
| 2013 | Utah | Co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach | |
| 2014–16 | Utah | Assistant head coach and running backs coach | |
| 2019 | Salt Lake Stallions AAF | Head coach |
Every job as the infobox of his Wikipedia article lists it (CC BY-SA), assistant jobs included.
Coaching tree
Worked under
- Ed TroxelIdaho
- Jim SweeneyFresno State
- Bob PadillaFresno State
- Jack ElwaySan José State
- Kyle WhittinghamUtah
Assistants who became head coaches
- Chris TormeyIdaho, Nevada, Washington
- John SmithUtah State, Louisville, Michigan State, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky State
- Keith GilbertsonCalifornia, Washington, Idaho
- Tim LappanoGeorgia State
- Carl FerrillWest Hills Coalinga, Chaffey, New Mexico Highlands, Los Angeles Valley
- Alex WoodBuffalo, James Madison, Florida A&M
- Ed OrgeronOle Miss, USC, LSU
- Sonny LubickColorado State, Montana State
- Tommy TubervilleOle Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, Cincinnati
- Randy ShannonMiami, Florida
- Greg McMackinHawai’i, Oregon Tech
- Rob ChudzinskiCleveland Browns
- and 12 more
Worked under (5)
| Head coach | Team | Years | His job | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Troxel | Idaho | 1974–75 | Offensive coordinator | |
| Jim Sweeney | Fresno State | 1976–77 | Offensive coordinator | |
| Bob Padilla | Fresno State | 1978 | Offensive coordinator | |
| Jack Elway | San José State | 1979–81 | Offensive coordinator | |
| Kyle Whittingham | Utah | 2013–16 | 2013: co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach; 2014–16: assistant head coach and running backs coach |
Coached under him, later head coaches (24)
| Coach | With him | Head coach at | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Tormey | Idaho, 1982–83: defensive line coach | Idaho, Nevada, Washington | |
| John Smith | Idaho, 1982–85: defensive coordinator; Wyoming, 1986: defensive coordinator; Washington State, 1987–88: defensive coordinator | Utah State, Louisville, Michigan State, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky State | |
| Keith Gilbertson | Idaho, 1982, 1985: offensive coordinator; Seattle Seahawks, 1996–98: assistant coach | California, Washington, Idaho | |
| Tim Lappano | Idaho, 1982–85: running backs coach; Wyoming, 1986: running backs coach; Washington State, 1987–88: running backs coach; Seattle Seahawks, 1998: running backs coach; Oregon State, 1999–2002: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach; San Francisco 49ers, 2003–04: running backs coach; Salt Lake Stallions, 2019: offensive coordinator | Georgia State | |
| Carl Ferrill | Idaho, 1983: defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator | West Hills Coalinga, Chaffey, New Mexico Highlands, Los Angeles Valley | |
| Alex Wood | Wyoming, 1986: wide receivers and tight ends coach; Washington State, 1987–88: tight ends coach; Miami, 1989–92: running backs coach | Buffalo, James Madison, Florida A&M | |
| Ed Orgeron | Miami, 1989–92: defensive line coach | Ole Miss, USC, LSU | |
| Sonny Lubick | Miami, 1989–92: defensive coordinator and linebackers coach | Colorado State, Montana State | |
| Tommy Tuberville | Miami, 1989–92: assistant coach; 1993: defensive coordinator | Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, Cincinnati | |
| Randy Shannon | Miami, 1991: graduate assistant; 1992: defensive line coach; 1993–94: linebackers coach | Miami, Florida | |
| Greg McMackin | Miami, 1993–94: defensive coordinator; Seattle Seahawks, 1995–98: defensive coordinator; San Francisco 49ers, 2003–04: linebackers coach | Hawai’i, Oregon Tech | |
| Rob Chudzinski | Miami, 1994: graduate assistant | Cleveland Browns | |
| Jim Zorn | Seattle Seahawks, 1997: offensive assistant | Washington Redskins, Seattle Dragons | |
| Jim Johnson | Seattle Seahawks, 1998: linebackers coach | Missouri Southern | |
| Pete Rodriguez | Seattle Seahawks, 1998: assistant head coach and special teams coach | Western Illinois | |
| Jonathan Smith | Oregon State, 2002: graduate assistant; Idaho, 2006: quarterbacks coach | Oregon State, Michigan State | |
| Dick Tomey | San Francisco 49ers, 2003: assistant coach | Hawai’i, Arizona, San José State | |
| Jim Mora | San Francisco 49ers, 2003: defensive coordinator | UCLA, UConn, Colorado State, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks | |
| Ted Tollner | San Francisco 49ers, 2003: quarterbacks coach; 2004: offensive coordinator | USC, San Diego State, San Mateo | |
| Jason Eck | Idaho, 2006: tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator | New Mexico, Idaho | |
| Jeff Mills | Idaho, 2006: defensive coordinator | New Mexico Highlands | |
| Trent Bray | Arizona State, 2008: graduate assistant; 2010–11: linebackers coach | Oregon State | |
| Dennis Creehan | Salt Lake Stallions, 2019: linebackers coach | Edinboro, San Francisco State, South Dakota, West Virginia Wesleyan, Alderson-Broaddus | |
| Ron Zook | Salt Lake Stallions, 2019: special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach | Florida, Illinois |
Other assistants under him (16)
| Coach | With him | |
|---|---|---|
| Bret Ingalls | Idaho, 1982–85: graduate assistant and running backs and offensive line coach | |
| Bob Bratkowski | Wyoming, 1986: offensive coordinator; Washington State, 1987–88: offensive coordinator; Miami, 1989–91: offensive coordinator; Seattle Seahawks, 1995–98: offensive coordinator | |
| Eddie Gran | Miami, 1990–91: graduate assistant | |
| Jim Michalczik | Miami, 1990–91: defensive line coach; Oregon State, 1999–2001: offensive line, tight ends and special teams coach | |
| Rich Olson | Miami, 1992–94: offensive coordinator; Arizona State, 2007–09: offensive coordinator | |
| Willy Robinson | Miami, 1994: defensive backs coach; Seattle Seahawks, 1995–98: defensive backs coach; Oregon State, 1999: defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach; San Francisco 49ers, 2004: defensive coordinator | |
| Matt Lubick | Oregon State, 1999–2000: defensive backs coach; Arizona State, 2007–09: defensive backs coach | |
| Mike Johnson | Oregon State, 1999: quarterbacks coach | |
| Craig Bray | Oregon State, 2001–02: defensive coordinator; Arizona State, 2007–11: defensive coordinator | |
| Noel Mazzone | Oregon State, 2002: offensive coordinator; Arizona State, 2010–11: offensive coordinator | |
| Jason Tarver | San Francisco 49ers, 2003: offensive quality control coach; 2004: assistant running backs coach | |
| Larry Mac Duff | San Francisco 49ers, 2003–04: special teams coordinator | |
| Chris Kiffin | Idaho, 2006: assistant coach | |
| Dan Cozzetto | Idaho, 2006: offensive coordinator | |
| Johnny Nansen | Idaho, 2006: special teams and linebackers coach | |
| Donnie Henderson | Salt Lake Stallions, 2019: defensive coordinator |
From coaches’ Wikipedia infoboxes (CC BY-SA) and each season’s article for its coordinators: an assistant’s seasons at a school count under its head coach in our records; jobs in the NFL and elsewhere, under the head coach whose own article lists the job that year. Names without a page here link to their Wikipedia articles.
Pay
| Year | School | Job | Contract pay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Arizona State | head coachbonuses up to $1,800,000 | $1,503,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2010 | Arizona State | head coachbonuses up to $1,800,000 | $1,503,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2009 | Arizona State | head coachbonuses up to $1,800,000 | $1,502,643 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2008 | Arizona State | head coach | $1,100,000 USA Today via Leeds | |
| 2007 | Arizona State | head coachbonuses up to $1,195,000 | $500,000 USA Today via Leeds |
The same USA Today database for 2006–16, from Michael Leeds’ replication data on Harvard Dataverse (CC0): the season’s contract pay.
Pay of public employees in their public job only: head coaches, and assistants in the seasons our records name them a coordinator, at public universities.
How he coached
Erickson’s teams went for it on 17% of fourth downs and on 32% of those where the model said go for it, passed on 56% of plays and took 24.3 seconds a play, 2006–2011.
| Season | School | Went for it on fourth | When the model said go | Pass rate | Seconds a play | EPA a play | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 4 g | Idaho | 6 of 37 16% | 26% | 57% | 27.1 | −0.20 | |
| 2007 11 g | Arizona State | 18 of 97 19% | 40% | 51% | 25.7 | −0.05 | |
| 2008 12 g | Arizona State | 13 of 104 13% | 20% | 56% | 26.8 | −0.13 | |
| 2009 11 g | Arizona State | 21 of 101 21% | 35% | 57% | 27.4 | −0.10 | |
| 2010 12 g | Arizona State | 15 of 99 15% | 32% | 57% | 19.5 | 0.00 | |
| 2011 13 g | Arizona State | 21 of 101 21% | 36% | 58% | 21.7 | +0.01 | |
| All 63 g | 94 of 539 17% | 32% | 56% | 24.3 | −0.06 |
His seasons as a head coach from 2004 on, from ESPN’s play by play: fourth downs where he went for it out of every fourth-down decision; how often he went when SportsDataverse’s fourth-down model said going for it was the better call; the share of his offense’s plays that were passes; seconds of game clock per offensive play (lower is faster); and expected points added per offensive play (EPA, a measure of how much each play moved the offense toward points). The season in progress counts its games so far. SportsDataverse’s coach tendencies, from ESPN’s play by play; the EPA and the fourth-down model are SportsDataverse’s.