Gilbertson Named A UW Coordinator

University of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel has named offensive line coach Keith Gilbertson to be the Huskies’ new offensive coordinator.

Gilbertson, who served as offensive coordinator during Washington’s 1991 national championship season, will replace Karl Dorrell, who accepted a job as the Denver Broncos wide receivers coach Friday.

Dorrell, 36, also served as Washington receivers coach. Neuheisel said he expected to hire a new receivers coach this week.

“I’ve got some names in mind, but I haven’t talked to anybody yet,” he said. “My phone’s been ringing off the hook, so I don’t think there will be any shortage of candidates.”

Gilbertson, a former University of Idaho head and assistant coach, coached under Don James at UW from 1989-91. He spent a year as offensive coordinator before being hired as California’s head coach. Fired after four seasons at Cal, he was a Seattle Seahawks assistant from 1996-98 before joining Neuheisel’s staff last year.

Dorrell had been Neuheisel’s offensive coordinator since Neuheisel became a head coach at Colorado in 1995. They were teammates at UCLA and were later Bruins assistants.

“First and foremost, Karl and I are friends,” Neuheisel said. “We’re excited for him. He’s a great guy and a good coach.”

Dorrell’s three-year deal with the Broncos will pay him $160,000 this season and increase $10,000 a year the next two seasons. He made $130,000 as the Huskies coordinator.

Women’s basketball

Idaho senior Alli Nieman was named to the Kodak All-District VIII women’s basketball team for the second straight season.

Nieman is now eligible for All-America status. She was honorable mention last season.

The Sandpoint native was second in the Big West in scoring and third in rebounding. She is only the second Big West player to accumulate 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.

Other District VIII members: UCLA’s Maylana Martin, UC Santa Barbara’s Erin Buescher, Saint Mary’s Tracey Morris, Long Beach State’s Rhonda Smith and Oregon’s Shaquala Williams.

Idaho Sportsman award

Warren Shepherd of Plummer was named the 1999 North Idaho Sportsman of the Year, the Idaho Hall of Fame announced.

Shepherd will be honored with the Gar Anderson Memorial Award at Saturday’s North Idaho Sports Banquet at the Coeur d’Alene Inn. Anderson was a sportsman and outdoorsman in Coeur d’Alene.

Shepherd is an avid hunter who has an 8-point elk rack on display at the Smithsonian Institute. He also enjoys fishing. Shepherd’s father, Mansfield, won the award in 1973.

Men’s basketball

More than Eastern Washington fans have noticed the five-season climb of the Eagles under coach Steve Aggers. So have his peers.

Aggers, who led Eastern to its first Big Sky Conference championship, sharing the regular-season title with Montana, was voted District 13 coach of the year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Aggers is one of 14 finalists for national honors. District 13 consists of 21 NCAA Division I schools on the West Coast.

“I’m very honored and extremely humbled by this award,” said Aggers, who is 51-82 in five years at Eastern, but 41-40 the last three seasons. “It is very rewarding and special when you are recognized by your peers for the job you do.”

Sam Brasch, who took the Community College of Spokane to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship in his 19th year at the school, has been named the association’s men’s coach of the year for the first time.

Brasch, a four-time winner of the NWAACC Eastern Region coach of the year, led CCS to a 20-10 record and second-place finish in the East before the Sasquatch marched to just the second men’s conference championship in school history. The last was in 1967.

Golf

The official opening of Downriver Golf Course for the 2000 season is Wednesday, with about 15 holes on permanent greens.

The course will begin taking tee times today starting at 8 a.m. for play Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.