By Cam Inman
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

SANTA CLARA - After searching 28 days for a new head coach, the 49ers have selected former Seattle Seahawks and current Oregon State coach Dennis Erickson as the 14th coach in franchise history, a team source said Tuesday morning.

Erickson, 55, replaces Steve Mariucci, who was fired Jan. 15 after six seasons and was hired last week as the Detroit Lions coach. A 49ers spokesman would not confirm nor deny Erickson's hire.

Erickson beat out three NFL defensive coordinators -- the 49ers' Jim Mora, the New York Jets' Ted Cottrell and the Chicago Bears' Greg Blache, who all conducted follow-up interviews last week at the 49ers' facility.

Mora said he received word of Erickson's hiring just after 10 a.m. via a phone call from 49ers general manager Terry Donahue. Mora, a 49ers assistant since 1997 and their defensive coordinator the past four seasons, declined to comment.

Cottrell told SportsLine.com: "Am I disappointed, yes, but by no means do I think the 49ers were not fair in any way in their search. They just informed me that they decided to go with Coach Erickson. Dennis is a very, very good coach. He did a heck of a job in Seattle. He got the short end of the stick out there. He was hurt by the refs in that game against the Jets. But he's a very good pro coach."

Erickson has spent the past three seasons at Oregon State, compiling a 23-12 record and leading the Beavers to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2000.

Erickson was 31-33 as coach of the Seahawks from 1995-98. He enjoyed his most success during a six-year stint at the University of Miami, where he won a national title in his first season there, 1989.

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