49ers: Erickson fired after two seasons

[ALinChainz]

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com

Wednesday, January 5, 2005


News


The 49ers have fired head coach Dennis Erickson, according to an ESPN.com report. Erickson finishes his two-year run with a 9-23 record, which includes the 2-14 record he led the team to this season. The official announcement of Erickson's dismissal will be made at a news conference on Wednesday.


Views

Erickson was the fall guy for owner John York's mismanagement. Then again, it appears that Dennis was brought in to play that role, as he wasn't highly regarded as a pro coach when the Niners hired him two years ago. This is probably the last we'll see of Erickson as an NFL head coach. He is expected to return to college coaching, perhaps as early as next season. The Niners are expected to pursue USC Trojans' head coach Pete Carroll as a possible replacement. At this point, it's hard to imagine that Carroll would be willing to part with the team he coached to the NCAA National Championship in favor of taking over a pro team with a cheap owner and major salary cap restrictions.

[redblkwht]

I see Carroll staying put at USC, hes got a good thing going..
and many new blood coming in.

[ALinChainz]

What does he make per season?

Spurrier got $5 million a season, so did Mooch when he came to Detroit, Saban is getting that.

Hard to turn down the money. He would be getting a 2-14 team, the #1 pick in the draft which he could use to take Leinart.

Be interesting to see, the Niners have been pinching the pennies lately, see what they offer up.

[Brett]

Pete is not leaving SC. Not sure what he makes at SC, probably $3-4 mil.

[ALinChainz]

I don't know Brett, not the first place I've read that, and he is a hot commodity right now.

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by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 9:15 a.m. EST, January 5, 2004



PETE POLITICKING FOR NINERS GIG



Even before his Trojans pulverized the Sooners in the NCAA championship game on Tuesday night, USC coach Pete Carroll was working behind the scenes to move up the coast to San Francisco, as the new coach of the 49ers.



According to a league source, Carroll is posturing to succeed Dennis Erickson in San Fran, who like Carroll has been to the top of the college game . . . and has been a two-time failure in the NFL.



(Okay, so Erickson hasn't been fired yet. We're hearing that his exit -- and the termination of G.M. Terry Donahue -- is a sure thing, and will happen very soon.)



Carroll could fare better than Erickson, in our view (and, of course, it would be hard to do worse). Shortly after the foaming-mouthed pursuit of Nick Saban commenced in Miami, we questioned why owner Wayne Huizenga was so willing to back the truckload of money up to the front door of the LSU coach at a time when the USC coach -- who unlike Saban has experience as an NFL coach in the free agency era -- isn't getting a sniff despite one of the best two-year runs in the history of college football.



We've made our feelings clear about recycled NFL head coaches. But our objection to the notion of hiring guys who've been fired by another NFL owner relates primarily to the phenomenon of former pro coaches being on the short list for a new top job within a year or two after getting canned. In Carroll's case, he's done something very significant at the college level. If/when he re-enters an NFL locker room, he will have a greater level of respect.



Still, there are folks around the NFL who question whether Carroll can get it done. If he makes it to San Fran, he'll likely bring along his good buddy Pat Kirwan (who was spotted on the sidelines with Carroll during Tuesday night's game). Carroll is a former personnel exec who'd have a better chance getting a cabinet position in the Bush administration than another NFL gig -- but for the fact that his pal Pete might be in position to get Pat hired.



A year ago, it was revealed that Kirwan, a supposedly objective NFL analyst for the league's official web site, was getting a piece of David Dunn's fee for the representation of former USC quarterback Carson Palmer, whom Kirwan helped recruit for Dunn via Kirwan's relationship with Carroll. Amazingly, Kirwan barely drew a slap on the wrist for allowing his integrity as a quasi-NFL journalist to be so grossly compromised.



We're also hearing that Carroll tried on several occasions to get Kirwan into the Patriots front office when Pete was the head coach there -- and that Bobby Grier consistently blocked Carroll from doing so.



So, even as we listen to ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit proclaim that Carroll won't be leaving Southern Cal, the wheels already are in motion for Carroll's long-anticipated return to the NFL.



And it looks like Kirwan will be tagging along.



Stay tuned.

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I bet for the right deal and say in personel matters, he'd do it. What does he have left to prove at the college level?

[Brett]

Pete's the perfect college coach, plus he loves to recruit. I don't think he'd walk away right now, just don't see it. Don't see any indication of it, apart from what you just posted, which I really don't know how reliable that is. His two sons are at SC, they just won a title, they're going to be great again next year. The Niners will suck for a while, and Pete has said many times he doesn't feel he has anything to prove in the NFL anymore.

[ALinChainz]

I agree with you, especially about his sons being there.

But the chance to coach a pro team nearby.

Seems possible, but maybe it isn't, you know how the media is.

[Brett]

Pete needs to um....NEVER LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!

[ALinChainz]

He has to like the thought of a 3rd straight, with talent coming back and recruits ready and willing.

I wouldn't be the least surprised either way.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

What a shocker, another Miami coach down the tubes...

[ALinChainz]

Yeah, other than Jimmy Johnson ... not a good record for those boys.

[MAX]

Pete is stellar where he currently coaches. I always liked him but he had several chances with the Bills. Some coaches are just better on different levels. Pete isn't an NFL coach IMO.

[ALinChainz]

He failed for the most part the first time around and most coaches would want another crack. Erickson did it and I would bet that in time, Spurrier will too.

Leinart is now talking about how he will "take his time", he has until the 15th to declare for the draft in April.

I'm betting he is waiting to see if Carroll gets the Niner job. They have the number one pick, and there Leinart would be, ready to play for Carroll and the Niners.

The ownership has supposively decided to open up the wallet and get this team back among the elite. Should be interesting the next week, ten days.