MOSCOW — Dennis Erickson, the new head football coach at the University of Idaho, has filled out the full-time assistant coaching positions on his staff.
The UI announced Wednesday that John McMahon, John Smith, Keith Gilbertson and Chris Tormey will be Erickson’s full-time assistants.
McMahon is a former Vandal assistant who coached under former UI head coach Ed Troxel in 1974-77 and Tormey is a former Vandal player who played under Troxel. Erickson, who replaces recently fired head coach Jerry Davitch, is also a former Troxel assistant.
Erickson is currently in California. He is the offensive coordinator for San Jose State University; he and his new staff will start work officially in a few weeks.
McMahon will serve as defensive line coach at UI. He returns to Moscow from Montana State, where he served as an assistant coach.
Smith, who will be defensive coordinator, comes to Idaho after five seasons at University of Nevada-Reno under Chris Ault.
Gilbertson coached last year at Utah State, handling the offensive line. He was at USU for five years. At Idaho, he will be the offensive co-ordinator.
Tormey, who will coach the linebackers, was an all-Big Sky linebacker himself under Troxel.
He was all league and Idaho’s defensive player of the year in both 1976 and 1977.
This story was published in the Dec. 17, 1981, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.
