Football coaching changes a plenty in Pac-10 after season

Lambright, who was the head coach at UW since 1992, was fired Dec. 30 after his Huskies fell to the Air Force in the Oahu Bowl Christmas day.

Neuheisel, who was also in Hawaii that day coaching his Colorado Buffaloes to a victory over Oregon in the Aloha Bowl, formally took over at Washington on Saturday.

Pac-10 FOOTBALL Notes

"This was not a monetary decision for me," Neuheisel said in a press conference before meeting his new team. "This was a decision based on a platform that the University of Washington, I think, can be the beacon university of the West and perhaps the beacon university of the entire United States," he continued.

He spent four seasons with the Buffaloes while compiling a record of 33-14 and 3-0 in postseason play. His three wins in postseason play all came against Pac-10 opponents.

Neuheisel is very familiar with the Pac-10 as he was a quarterback at UCLA, where he graduated in 1984. After two years in the old USFL, he returned to southern California to go to law school at USC. After that he joined UCLA as a volunteer assistant and then was named a full-time assistant.

In a media release from the University of Washington, junior wide receiver Dane Looker said, "He came in and right away seemed excited to meet us. Everyone is excited. He got the place going a bit. Everyone is looking to the future now."

Lambright devoted 30 years of service to UW in which 24 of those were as an assistant. He graduated from the university in 1965 and lettered in football in 1963 and 1964.

He was 44-25-1 as head coach with a 1-3 postseason record.

Oregon State hasn't had a winning season since 1971, but apparently a 5-6 season in 1998 was good enough for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL to lure the Beavers' head coach away from Corvallis and into sunny Southern California to take the helm as head coach.

Mike Riley signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of the Chargers. He will make $750,000 per year which is five-times the $135,000 per year he made at Oregon State.

In two seasons at OSU, a place that people call a coaches' graveyard, Riley was 8-14.

The Oregon State athletic department wasted no time in finding a replacement as they hired former Seattle Seahawks' coach Dennis Erickson yesterday.

Erickson, who was fired last month as coach of the Seahawks, signed a five-year deal worth $150,000 per year.

"I'm excited about the challenge," Erickson told The Oregonian after arriving in Corvallis Monday night. "That was why I was interested. I've sat back the last couple of weeks and looked at what I wanted to do with my coaching career. I did some soul-searching."

With two national championships under his belt from the University of Miami, Fla., Erickson brings hope to the fans in Corvallis.

Erickson was 31-33 with the Seahawks, but as a college coach at Miami, Washington State, Wyoming and Idaho he was 113-40-1.

Sometimes money and lifelong dreams come before a college degree and another year of experience.

This holds true for juniors Brock Huard of Washington, Kris Farris of UCLA, Chris Claiborne of Southern Cal and Yusuf Scott of Arizona, who all declared themselves eligible for the NFL Draft.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. lists Claiborne as the number three pick, Farris number 17 and he also notes that Huard's stock is slipping and he is not in the top 50.

Arizona State junior running back J.R. Redmond decided to continue playing college football for one more year as he will return to ASU.

"I do not want to leave here 5-6. I came in a winner and I want to leave a winner," Redmond said in a press conference announcing he will stay in Tempe for his senior season.