The Erickson era begins
February 13, 2003
Kevin Lynch, Chronicle Staff Writer
After an exhausting day at Nike headquarters, 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens climbed into the first-class cabin for a flight from Portland back to San Jose. He stuffed his belongings in the overhead bin and settled into his seat before feeling a tap on his shoulder.
Owens turned around to see a white-haired man extend his hand in greeting. "Hi," the man said. "I'm Dennis Erickson."
By coincidence, Erickson and Owens shared a flight Tuesday evening. Maybe it's a harbinger of good things for Erickson, who was formally introduced as the 49ers' head coach Wednesday afternoon at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco.
"We had the opportunity to chat a little bit and visit," Erickson told a packed conference room full of reporters. "It was a lot of fun."
Erickson, who turns 56 next month, now will buckle down to the business of coaching a football team with title-winning aspirations. He revealed he'd do it by keeping the 49ers' West Coast offense largely intact.
Instead of switching terminology and making wholesale changes, it's Erickson who will learn the 49ers' schemes.
"He knows it's easier for one man to learn new terminology than it is for the entire offense and most importantly, the quarterback, to come in and learn new terminology," 49ers general manager Terry Donahue said.
Erickson also said offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who signed a new contract a few weeks ago, will be retained.
The coming weeks and months will determine if Knapp's influence in the offense will be minimized. Erickson plans to bring in offensive line coach Gregg Smith, who has been with Erickson for 22 years.
Smith is likely to take on an assistant head coach's role, instead of replacing current 49ers offensive line coach Pat Morris, who is also under contract. If Morris doesn't feel comfortable with the situation, he could opt out of his contract and presumably join former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci in Detroit.
That's a place 49ers defensive coordinator Jim Mora Jr. seems destined. Carolina filled its defensive-coordinator position Wednesday by promoting defensive line coach Mike Trgovac. Barring a blockbuster offer by the 49ers, Mora will leave.
Erickson plans to meet with every member of the coaching staff and mull options. He will also fill vacancies at linebackers coach, defensive line coach, special-teams coach, wide receivers coach and, most likely, defensive coordinator.
More importantly, the look and philosophy of the team will change. "He will not be a coach that doesn't put his own signature on the team," Donahue vowed. "I'd be very disappointed if he didn't approach this job with an independence and a feeling of freedom to coach this team the way he wants."
Offensively, that means more wide-open formations with three- and four- receiver sets and deep passes.
"I do believe that we have the players that are capable of going vertical," said quarterback Jeff Garcia, who attended the news conference. Garcia said the deep passing game was part of former coach Steve Mariucci's offense, but that it wasn't emphasized.
Garcia's 10.2-yard completion average was the lowest ever by a 49ers starting quarterback, which leads some to believe Garcia is incapable of throwing deep. Donahue refuted that contention.
"Throwing it down the field is not always related to arm strength," he said.
"It is related to timing, the kind of routes you run. When you look at Jeff Garcia and you look at his talent . . . he went to the Quarterbacks Challenge two years ago and won it. One of the events was how far you can throw the ball. "
Garcia and others complained in the past that the deep passing game wasn't practiced enough under Mariucci. Others in the organization grew frustrated that Garcia constantly threw short to running backs instead of waiting for deeper patterns to develop.
Erickson undoubtedly will be asked to remedy these and other offensive problems.
Erickson always dodged the question of who called the plays during his four years at Oregon State, but the suspicion was that he did with input from offensive coordinator Tim Lappano.
If Lappano isn't named Erickson's successor in Corvallis, he is likely to be hired by the 49ers as an offensive coach. Eric Yarber, a young, well- regarded receivers coach, also will follow Erickson if he doesn't stay with Lappano.
Not only will the 49ers have to adjust offensively and defensively, but also to Erickson's understated style. In his statements Wednesday, Erickson was brisk and business-like and not prone to the humorous asides of Mariucci.
Erickson probably won't take off on emotional rifts before and after games as Mariucci did, which made him an NFL Films favorite.
Nevertheless, Erickson is steady and proven and a man the 49ers have tabbed to lead them to where Mariucci never ventured -- the Super Bowl.
Coaching staff -- who's in, who may be out -- Assistant head coach: Probably Gregg Smith, an offensive line coach who has worked with Dennis Erickson for more than two decades.
-- Defensive coordinator: Jim Mora Jr. is probably headed for Detroit and a reunion with Steve Mariucci.
-- Offensive line: Pat Morris, a Marriuci holdover, but for how long?
-- Coaching vacancies: linebackers, defensive line, special teams, wide receivers.
-- Quote: "I'd be very disappointed if he didn't approach this job with an independence and a feeling of freedom to coach this team the way he wants."
-- 49ers general manager Terry Donahue
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