Olson Leaves UI For Purdue Post

University of Idaho quarterbacks coach Greg Olson has resigned to accept a similar job at Purdue University.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Olson said Tuesday. “The Big Ten is one of the top conferences, if not the top conference, in the country.”

At Purdue he replaces Larry Korpitz, who died of cancer last week.

Olson, 34, joined the Idaho staff in 1994 after five seasons at Central Washington University. Vandals head coach Chris Tormey said a search is under way and he hopes to have a new quarterbacks coach next week.

New players report to fall drills Aug. 4 and veterans return Aug. 7.

“It’s a great opportunity for Greg,” Tormey said. “Obviously the timing is bad, but the circumstances are beyond everyone’s control.”

Last year Olson coached the nation’s second-ranked QB, Ryan Fien. Fien caught the attention of then-Wyoming and current Purdue coach Joe Tiller with a 542-yard passing game against the Cowboys.

Olson is a 1986 graduate of CWU and a 1989 graduate of Washington State University’s athletic administration program. His wife, Lissa, is WSU’s associate track coach.

Men’s golf

University of Washington freshman Brian Nosler shot a 5-under-par 67 for a two-day total of 6-under 138 to take medalist honors at the Pacific Northwest Golf Association amateur championship in Canby, Ore.

Nosler, of Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course, topped Ben Crane of Portland GC and Dusty Brett of Fircrest GC by three strokes.

Nosler earns the No. 1 seed into match play, which begins this morning. Sixty-four golfers advanced, including Spokane Country Club’s Darren Slackman and Kyle Kelly of The Creek at Qualchan.

Slackman shot a 73 for a two-day total of 147, tied for 14th, while Kelly’s 72 put him at 148.

Legion baseball

Steve Socha had a two-run homer during a seven-run sixth inning as the Bandits beat the Blue Devils 12-9 at Whitworth College for a Spokane AAA split. George Petticrew’s two-run homer in the fifth helped the Blue Devils win the opener 11-3.

, DataTimes