Lake City coach learning - with help from his dad

After his first season as head football coach at Lake City High ended with a 3-6 record, Bryce Erickson did some soul-searching.

“What I learned is, I’m the type of person who preaches to kids to be accountable in life,” Erickson said last week, one week before his second season with the Timberwolves was to begin. “I looked in the mirror — ‘What could I have done better? And one thing that stood out is coaching the coaches — making sure everything’s the same from the freshman team to the sophomore team to the varsity.”

Erickson has coached football since 2004, but most of his experience has been at the college level — save for one season as head coach at South Albany High in Albany, Ore., in 2012.

“Last year I assumed they knew more than they did,” Erickson said of his first year at Lake City, “so slowing the teaching down” was one goal, as well as “learning the kids and finding more effective ways to get the message across to kids.”

Another advantage was being in the building (he teaches weight training), and being around the players.

“And it helps get the numbers up because I recruit kids (to play football) from my weight classes,” he said.

THIS YEAR, Bryce is getting help from another Erickson — his father, Dennis, who “retired” from coaching after last season, his fourth as an assistant at the University of Utah, is helping as a volunteer assistant at Lake City, focusing on the offensive side — his specialty.

Dennis Erickson, of course, has been coaching since 1969, mostly at the college and pro levels, with stops at Washington State and Idaho, among others, two national championships at Miami, and stints as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. Dennis has had a home on Lake Coeur d’Alene for years.

“He’s my idol; he’s my dad,” Bryce said of Dennis. “It’s a blessing to have him around. The knowledge he brings to the coaching staff, you couldn’t pay him enough money. He helps me coach the coaches.”

Dennis works with the Lake City quarterbacks and running backs ... actually, wherever.

“I think he’s earned the right to float around wherever he’s needed,” Bryce said.

Bryce coached five years under his dad at Arizona State from 2007-11, first as a grad assistant and later as running backs coach.

Now, the roles are reversed — though dad did work under son that one season at South Albany.

“Now he’s trying to get even with me,” Dennis said with a laugh. “Naw, we’re having a lot of fun.”

WATCHING DENNIS at practice, and later in the coaches’ office at Lake City, he doesn’t jump out as someone who has accomplished as much as he has.

He’s unassuming, and having fun helping the oldest of his two sons.

“This is fun,” Dennis said the other day, relaxing in the coaches’ office. “I’d had enough of the other stuff for 47, 48 years. I really, really enjoy it; it’s where I started, in high school in 1970 (at Central Catholic High in Billings, Mont.). I’m just enjoying being around the coaches and players ... it’s rewarding. If I can help these kids out, that’s what it’s all about.”

We say “retired” because, even after he left Utah, he said he “had some opportunities” to return to coaching, but wasn’t interested.

So for now, he’s happy helping out his son, working with high school players who weren’t even born as recently as when he coached the Seahawks from 1995-98.

“This is the purest part of coaching,” Dennis Erickson said.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.