Morrow's Musings
- By Jeff Morrow
509-582-1507
Recharged Erickson back in college ranks
Some precious thoughts as I kick myself for not getting tickets in time for Sunday's final Mariners' Kingdome game, which is sold out:
A few weeks back, I went to Pendleton to visit Dennis Erickson, who was on a tour of the state of Oregon with other Oregon State University coaches, playing golf at the Wildhorse Resort with OSU alumni.
Erickson looks a lot better health-wise after getting fired by the Seattle Seahawks earlier this year. He landed on his feet as the new football coach at OSU, and he couldn't be happier being back in the college game.
"I like recruiting," said Erickson. "And the booster club thing has been real enjoyable."
The NFL life just wasn't for him.
"The NFL is cutthroat. It's real cutthroat," he said. "When (Bob) Whitsitt came in with the new ownership, I knew they wanted their own guy to coach. The only thing I regret was that I didn't get to finish the final year on my contract. The NFL is more business than game."
At least at OSU, Erickson will have more control over things.
"Dealing with the players is different in college than the NFL," he said. "NFL players pretty much do their own thing. In college football, you have a heck of a lot of influence on players' lives."
Erickson plans on bringing back the one-back, spread-it-out passing offense that his teams ran so successfully at Idaho, Wyoming, WSU and Miami.
To boot, he inherits a pretty fair nucleus from Mike Riley, who left the Beavers for the San Diego Chargers last January.
"Mike started things last year," Erickson said. "We've already sold 9,000 season tickets and we haven't really started selling yet."
And, according to Erickson, no area of the Northwest is safe from his recruiting talents.
"We're going to recruit the Tri-Cities," he said. "We've got just as good a chance as Washington and WSU. That's good football in the Tri-Cities. They're well-coached there."
That includes Prosser, where quarterback Tyler Thomas hails from.
"He's a talented kid," Erickson said. "He's still got things to learn like any young quarterback. They all do. But he's got a good future."
All of the talk ends in August, when camp begins. Until then, Erickson will be golfing with friends and OSU alumni.
"My golf game is pretty shaky," he said. "I'd lie to you and tell you that it's good. But there are too many guys in the Tri-Cities who know me."
* * *
Sun Willows head golf pro Joe Dubsky likes to coach basketball.
But he had a tough season this past winter, coaching the girls varsity at River View of Finley to an 0-20 mark.
However, he bounced back this spring, leading the Columbia Basin College women to a 36-3 record and the NWAACC title - the first time the CBC women have done that.
Four of his players cracked the top 10, with Kahryn Campbell taking medalist honors.
Dubsky was voted the NWAACC women's coach of the year for his efforts.
* * *
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that Moses Lake's B.J. Garbe should be signing with the Twins in the next few days.
Garbe, made the fifth overall pick by Minnesota in the Amateur Draft, should earn a reported signing bonus around $2.7 million - which would be a Twins' record.
Now that a graduation trip to Mexico is finished, Garbe should be ready to get down to the business of baseball.
When he does sign, Garbe is expected to play in Class A Elizabethton, Tenn., where former Kamiakin standout Bryan Williamson is.
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