Back in command
MOSCOW, Idaho – A year ago at this time, Dennis Erickson was probably setting a golf ball on a tee and preparing to launch a drive. Nothing wrong with that, but it wasn’t an ideal way to spend a Saturday afternoon for a football coach with 35 years of experience.
“The year I was off just didn’t feel right,” said Erickson, shortly after directing the Idaho Vandals through their first spring practice Saturday at the Kibbie Dome. “So it’s just great to be back on the field for me.”
Erickson’s first impression of his team was a favorable one.
“I thought we did some really good things, execution-wise, for the first time out,” Erickson said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but it was fun to watch them. If this team continues to improve every week, we have a chance to be very competitive next year.”
Erickson hopes to install most of his offense by the end of spring drills. The defense, which is being coordinated by Jeff Mills, will stay largely the same as it was under former head coach Nick Holt, who also served as defensive coordinator.
“We’re going to do quite a few things differently than what they’ve done here before,” Erickson said, “with nobody in the backfield and four- and five-receiver sets, so there’s going to be some different things. We as coaches have to be accountable to them and give them what they can learn, so when we get done with spring we’ll look at what they do best and what they can learn and that’s what we’ll do in the fall.”
The hiring of Erickson six weeks ago generated considerable energy and enthusiasm for Idaho’s downtrodden program. The players seemed to return the favor as Erickson termed their first-day enthusiasm “unbelievable.”
“It’s extremely exciting to have an opportunity to be coached by such a great coach that’s proven himself,” said tight end Luke Smith-Anderson, who missed last season after undergoing surgery to remove his spleen.
Added quarterback Steve Wichman: “You lose a guy like Holt and it takes a toll on you. Then you hire Coach Erickson and it’s like a dream come true. It’s amazing.”
Wichman called Erickson’s approach “very professional, up-tempo, upbeat. He never takes too much time on anything, but he’s getting his point across. He’s very precise with what he’s doing out there.”
Wichman looked sharp and a tad lighter on his feet, thanks to shedding 10 pounds. He moved around in the pocket, sometimes on designed rollouts.
“I think it’ll help me prevent mistakes from staying in the pocket too long when I can tuck it and get 5 or 6 yards,” he said.
“He was very impressive, particularly his accuracy,” said Erickson, who turned 59 on Friday. “He was right on the money most of the time. I thought (receiver) Wendell Octave looked very impressive, too.”
Notes
Numerous players are working at new positions. Desmond Belton is back at receiver after a short stint at safety, DeAngelo Ramsey is playing receiver instead of cornerback and Jason Brown has gone from running back to linebacker. … Defensive tackle Siua Musika is recovering from a torn ACL suffered late last season. He’s expected to be ready for fall camp. … Junior college transfer Stanley Franks, a speedy cornerback, is already working with the starting unit. … The first-team offensive line on the first day: center Adam Korby, guards Jade Tadvick and Adam Juratovac, and tackles Nate VanderPol and Kris Anderson. JC transfer Jon Dominguez and Ryan Davis were the first-string defensive tackles. Lewis and Clark product Josh Shaw, Ben Alexander and Charles Campbell saw the majority of snaps at ends.