There is no doubt Dennis Erickson has a well-traveled resume as a football coach. I actually had a chance to work with Dennis when he was the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks from 1995-98. I got to talk to him before and after each game and hosted a weekly talk show with Dennis. A class act. Always told it exactly how it was. If his team stunk he would be straight up about it. His teams though were usually pretty darn accomplished. I have put highlights from the 2001 Fiesta Bowl. One of his best coaching jobs ever. His Beavers dismantled Notre Dame. I was back in South Bend in December of 2015. One of the Fathers at the Notre Dame Cathedral came up to the Oregon State Women's Basketball team and introduced himself. He told me and a few of the players close enough to hear him. Welcome to South Bend......we still remember the Fiesta Bowl!!
Here is the official release on Dennis Erickson's entry into the College Football Hall of Fame from the Oregon State Athletic Department.
Former Oregon State head football coach Dennis Erickson has been selected to be inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame, it was announced Monday by the National Football Foundation. Erickson joins former head coach Tommy Prothro (1955-64) and former standout players Terry Baker (1960-62) and Bill Enyart (1966-68) with immediate OSU ties in the Hall of Fame.
Erickson joined the Oregon State program in January of 1999 and promptly led the Beavers to their first winning season (7-5) in nearly three decades. The following season he led OSU to a final No. 4 national ranking, a co-Pac-10 Conference Title and a rout of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
“This is a well-deserving honor for Coach Erickson,” OSU head football coach Jonathan Smith said. “The opportunity to play for him helped shape my career aspirations to be a leader of young men. On behalf of the Oregon State program, Beaver Nation and the players who were privileged with the opportunity to play for Coach Erickson, a heartfelt congratulations to him and his family.”
Erickson led OSU to three bowl games, including its first since 1965, before leaving to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. His head coaching stints at the collegiate and professional level includes Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Arizona State, Miami, the Seattle Seahawks and currently as the head coach for the Salt Lake Stallions for the inaugural season of the Alliance of American Football.
Overall, Erickson won two national championships, led his teams to 12 bowl games and a share of six NCAA conference titles. He is also the only person in Pac-12 history to be named the league’s Coach of the Year at three different institutions.
The 62nd induction ceremony will be held Dec. 10 in New York City.