A special weekend for Erickson, 2001 Fiesta Bowl champions
The 2001 Fiesta Bowl champions, 55 players and seven coaches strong, are introduced to the Reser Stadium crowd after the first quarter of the Beavers’ 24-10 win over Arizona State last Saturday night (courtesy Oregon State athletics)
Last weekend was a special one for Dennis Erickson. But it was that way, too, for a lot of coaches and players who served under him during perhaps the most special season in Oregon State football history.
Erickson, six assistant coaches and 55 players were on hand in Corvallis to represent the 2001 Fiesta Bowl championship team that was inducted into the Oregon State Athletic Hall of Fame.
For Erickson — who was also inducted into the hall as an individual — the important part was the reunion of the people who put together a 2000 season for the ages.
“It wasn’t as much about my induction as it was the (2000) team,” says Erickson from his home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. “It was great to see all those players and coaches come back and to get the kind of reception we got from the fans at Reser (when they were introduced). That was the most special part of the weekend. I’d seen a lot of the guys, but there were some I hadn’t seen in 20 years.”
Alexis Serna, the former OSU All-America placekicker who now serves as director of “Beyond Football” for the Beavers, arranged the weekend of activities for the 2000 team that went 11-1, tied for the Pac-10 championship and finished the season ranked fourth nationally after a 41-9 Fiesta Bowl rout of Notre Dame.
“Alexis was a rock star putting the whole thing together,” says Tim Euhus, a freshman reserve tight end on the 2000 team who would go on to be a starter at OSU and then play four seasons in the NFL. “He went above and beyond.”
Linebacker Jonathan Pollard places a pizza order during the OSU Fiesta Bowl team’s introductions at Reser (courtesy Oregon State athletics)
Erickson, 74, was the head coach at Oregon State for only four seasons (1999-2002), but he produced a second season that Beaver Nation will not soon forget. The Beavers’ only loss came on Oct. 7 in Seattle, when 11th-ranked Washington won a 33-30 thriller before a crowd of 73,145. OSU’s Ryan Cesca missed a 45-yard field goal in the closing seconds that would have forced overtime.
Oregon State went on to drub the Fighting Irish in the Fiesta Bowl, with Jonathan Smith throwing for 305 yards and three touchdowns and the Beavers holding a 41-3 lead after three quarters.
Twenty years later, the gang congregated in Corvallis to rekindle friendships and relive fond memories. There was the induction ceremony and dinner Friday night in the Toyota Center at Reser. On Saturday was a tailgate party prior to Oregon State’s 24-10 victory over Arizona State. The former OSU players and coaches watched the game together from Valley Football Center, and there was the introduction to the fans on the field between the first and second quarters.
From left, tight end Marty Maurer with former teammates Eric Manning (wearing letterman’s jacket), Darnell Robinson and Lee Davis (courtesy Oregon State athletics)
“That was a lot of fun, but it was frickin’ cold out there,” Erickson says. “I went back into the (Valley Center) to warm up after that.”
The reunion was “beautiful, man,” says linebacker James Allen, now head coach at Gresham High. “I saw a lot of faces I haven’t seen in a long time. We got plaques (for the Hall of Fame induction). They did it up right.”
Euhus, a financial advisor living in Corvallis, served as somewhat of a hometown host.
“My wife said, ‘This is the happiest I’ve seen you since Covid started,’ ” Euhus says. “I was back with family, friends, people who understand me. There were no judgements. It was like we were in college again for a weekend, which is really healthy for me right now.
“It was fantastic — a really special night. (Reserve) tight Pat Loney had it best in a Tweet. He said, ‘I’m super proud to be a part of a team that, 20 years later, has altered my destiny. I’m also relieved we are all more warm and open people as older men. Lots of hugs and real talks.’
“When you’re 18 to 22 years old, there’s a lot of ego … a lot of testosterone going around. That was gone. Guys were being very real. And that led to a lot of stories, reliving memories and having real talks with guys. It made me feel blessed with the life I’ve had.”
At Friday night’s ceremony in the Toyota Center, Smith spoke for the offense, linebacker Darnell Robinson — the defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl — spoke for the defense.
No. 11: Linebacker Darnell Robinson exchanges a high-five with old friend Benny Beaver (courtesy Oregon State athletics)
“The beauty of the night was, it didn’t matter if you were (star running back) Ken Simonton or a fourth-string offensive lineman, everybody got the same honor and recognition,” Euhus says. “You were part of the team.”
Simonton was there along with Smith, Allen and Robinson, Chris Gibson, Dwan Edwards, Eric Manning, Marty Maurer, Richard Seigler, Jake Cookus and Dennis Weathersby. Some of the greats from that team were missing, though, including Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, DeLawrence Grant, LaDairis Jackson, Nick Barnett, James Newson, Mitch Meeuwsen and Terrence Carroll.
Head coach Dennis Erickson with center Chris Gibson and linebacker Richard Seigler while being introduced to Reser Stadium’s crowd during Oregon State’s victory over Arizona State (courtesy Oregon State athletics)
“It was a bummer that some of the really good players didn’t show up,” Euhus says. “Everybody would have loved to see those guys. They were such a huge part of that team.”
Six of the assistants were on hand, including offensive coordinator Tim Lappano and defensive coordinator Craig Bray, whose son Trent is now interim D-coordinator for the Beavers. Others who made it were Gregg Smith (offensive line), Dan Cozzetto (running backs), Michael Gray (defensive line) and Jim Michalczik (tight ends and special teams), now the Beavers’ O-line coach.
A few players are no longer with us. Safety Terrell Roberts, who played two seasons in the NFL, was shot and killed in 2019. He was 38. Linebacker Tavita Moala died at age 37 after a five-year battle with cancer in 2013.
“Four of Tavita’s kids sat at our table and accepted his award,” Euhus says. “That was the saddest thing. He was a great guy, a good friend to every guy on the team.”
On a long night of acceptance speeches, Erickson came last.
“Dennis’ speech was perfect,” Euhus says. “I’ll bet it lasted about a minute and a half. He got off a couple of funny lines and talked about how special a place Oregon State was, how special a team that was. It was perfectly done — classic Coach Erickson.”
What is Erickson doing in retirement in Coeur d’Alene?
“Not too much,” says Erickson, whose last coaching job, as head coach of the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football in 2019, capped a 50-year coaching career. “My son (Bryce Erickson) coaches tight ends at Montana. I watched them play a game. I went to my alma mater, Montana State, for a game and for the opening of their new football training facility. I went to a game at Idaho. I’ve done a little bit of consulting here and there. I have a lot of spare time I’m not sure what to do with.”
Is he playing much golf?
“Not right now,” he cracks. “It’s snowing like a son of a bitch.”
How much does he miss coaching?
“When you’ve done it for 50-some years, it’s such a big part of your life,” he says. “I miss the games, the game plans, the camaraderie you have with the players. Probably not the long hours.
“The college game has changed quite a bit. With the transfer portal, the NIL packages and that sort of thing, it’s totally different than what it used to be. I’m not sure I’d like to deal with that stuff.”
Six months ago, Erickson hired a personal trainer. Since then, the 5-10 Erickson has lost 20 pounds to about 175.
“I’m in the best shape I’ve been in 20 years,” he says. “I’ve toned up quite a bit. It’s been remarkable. Best thing I ever did.”
Erickson says he tries not to miss an Oregon State game on TV, but the Arizona State game was the first he has attended in person this season. Smith asked him to speak to the team on Friday.
Says Erickson: “I told them, ‘You’re a physical team. You have to be physical early. If you can do that against (the Sun Devils), you’ll dominate the game.’ That’s what they did. They ran the ball, stopped the run and kept their quarterback in the pocket.”
Erickson is proud of the work his former quarterback has done in resurrecting the OSU program.
“Jonathan and his staff have done an unbelievable job,” he says. “He has that thing going in the right direction. He understands what needs to be done. He understands the atmosphere. He know what kind of players it takes at Oregon State. It’s different than at a lot of places.”
Erickson coached Trent Bray as a freshman linebacker in 2002. Bray took over as interim D-coordinator three weeks ago after the firing of Tim Tibesar. The Beavers have had strong defensive performances in wins over Stanford and Arizona State since then.
“Trent is a born defensive coordinator,” Erickson says. “He has made some positive changes. The energy was real high on both sides of the football Saturday, particularly on defense. I’m not usually for changing coaches, but their defense has been pretty darn good since he has taken over. Take the ‘interim’ off Trent’s title — that’s my suggestion as the old coach to the young coach.”
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