Former Offensive Coordinator Named To College Football Hall Of Fame

Irving, Texas----- Dennis Erickson's last stop as an assistant football coach was at San Jose State University for the 1979 through 1981 seasons before a long and successful career as a head coach. Even though it's just the first week of the New Year, Erickson will be planning a December 10 stay in New York City for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
Erickson and Joe Taylor, who won 70.6 percent of his games and four national championships at historically black colleges, are the two head coaches joining 13 players to be named to the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame class.
 
During his three seasons at San Jose State, Erickson oversaw one of the most potent offenses in college football with Jack Elway as the Spartans head coach. San Jose State had a winning season in each of his three years and was the 1981 Pacific Coast Athletic Association champion.
 
With Ed Luther at quarterback in 1979, the Spartans were second nationally in passing offense and seventh in total offense. The next two seasons with Steve Clarkson at quarterback, San Jose State was 10th in passing offense. The 1981 team which included future National Football League players halfback Gerald Willhite, wide receivers Stacey Bailey, Mervyn Fernandez and Tim Kearse, and tight end Tracy Franz, was sixth in Division I-A in scoring offense.
 
Erickson came to the Spartans after assistant coaching positions at Idaho and Fresno State. His first college head coaching position was at Idaho (1982-85) followed by stops at Wyoming (1986), Washington State (1987-88), Miami (Fla.) (1989-94), Oregon State (1999-2002), back to Idaho (2006) and Arizona State (2007-11). Erickson's teams were declared national champions for the 1989 and 1991 seasons and won six conference titles. He was a two-time national Coach of the Year and compiled a head coaching record of 179-96-1.
 
Erickson also was a head coach in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks (1995-98) and the San Francisco 49ers (2003 and 2004). He was the only one of six Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaches on the ballot named to the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame class. Taylor was the coach selected from the Divisional ballot covering NCAA Divisions I-AA (now Football championship Subdivision – FCS), II, III and NAIA.
 
Coaches are eligible for consideration after 10 seasons as a head coach and achieving a winning percentage of .600 or higher for a career of 100 or more games.
 
Former San Jose State head coaches John Ralston (1993-96) and Fielding Yost (1900), advisory coach "Pop" Warner (1939-40), and halfback Willie Heston from the 1898 through 1900 Spartan teams are enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame based in Atlanta, Ga.