Smith, Kramer gain support at UI

John L. Smith just received an offer on his house in Michigan.

Where you headed next, John L.?

“That all depends,” Smith said, laughing, over the telephone.

The University of Idaho might be one possible destination. Smith visited with Idaho athletic director Rob Spear by phone Monday as the Vandals’ search for a new football coach heated up.

“It’s definitely something we’d like to consider,” said Smith, who was 53-21 as Idaho’s coach from 1989-94. “Obviously, we have an interest and (wife) Diana and I have sat down and talked about it and we’ll have to talk some more.”

Idaho is talking with a number of candidates, but Smith and Montana State coach Mike Kramer seem to be at the forefront of the search to replace Dennis Erickson, who bolted for Arizona State University after 10 months in Moscow. Kramer and Smith are expected to interview by telephone with Spear and Idaho’s search committee today.

Erickson’s departure might continue to influence Idaho’s search, too. Smith apparently has an opportunity to join Erickson as ASU’s defensive coordinator.

Spear said he planned to narrow his list to two or three by Monday night and “proceed quickly after that.”

Smith’s teams at Idaho won two Big Sky Conference titles and he was popular with Vandals boosters. He owns property in Sandpoint, where he plans on retiring. Yet it is those very things that concern a large portion of Vandals fans that see similarities to Erickson’s resume. Erickson was 32-15 at Idaho from 1982-85 and he plans to retire on Lake Coeur d’Alene, but he left Idaho after just one season.

“The only thing I can state is this: Di and I, if we look at this job, we’ve talked about it and we have to be prepared that this is our last job,” said Smith, who coached at Utah State, Louisville and Michigan State after leaving Idaho. He was fired in November with three games left in his fourth season at Michigan State.

Erickson’s buyout was $150,000, a figure that will be higher for Idaho’s next coach.

“There are no guarantees in life, but contractually we’ll make sure there’s a significant buyout in the (next) contract,” Spear said.

Kramer, a Colton, Wash., native and former lineman at Idaho, is receiving considerable support. He has a 40-43 record (29-22 in the Big Sky) in seven seasons at Montana State and the Bobcats have won or shared three conference titles. The Bobcats on Nov. 25 celebrated their first I-AA playoff win in 22 years.

Kramer was 37-32 at Eastern Washington from 1994-99, winning the Big Sky title in 1997 and advancing to the I-AA semifinals.

“I’ve been coaching 30 years. I’ve worked at four places,” Kramer said, “so I’m not exactly a mover.”

Kramer, 52, said he’s “not scared off” by some of the sizable obstacles Idaho’s program faces.

“Where Idaho wants to go, I think it’s doable,” he said. “As we’ve proven here, it’s doable.”

Other names that have been mentioned include Montana’s Bobby Hauck, San Diego’s Jim Harbaugh and ex-Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter. Those would appear to be long shots. Harbaugh apparently is on Stanford’s list. Koetter didn’t return a phone message.

Smith, 58, is looking forward to more discussions.

“The biggest thing in this whole process, like I told him, is I think Idaho is going in the right direction, it just needs somebody to keep it going,” Smith said. “A lot of people are going to push for me supposedly, but Rob has to get to know me a little bit to make sure I’m the guy he wants and not the guy that others want.”