GoBlue2419 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_header.png [July 11, 2011] Little did Chippewas Athletics Director Ed Flaherty know that when he needed to find a new head football coach, he would find him within the same family as his men's basketball coach. But that is exactly what has happened as Central Michigan University announces today that their new head football coach will be Carl Erickson. Erickson is the brother of head men’s basketball coach Joey Erickson. “Had I known this would be the outcome of our coaching search, I would have just showed up at an Erickson family reunion, offered the jobs to both Carl and Joey there, and saved the school some long-distance and travel charges,“ Flaherty joked at today’s press conference. “Seriously though, we strongly desire a family-like atmosphere amongst our athletic programs, and how better to do that then have brothers coaching two of our highest profile programs,” he continued. Carl Erickson expressed his delight in being offered the head football job. “I have always wanted to be a head coach at the Division 1 college level, and I am extremely excited to be able to do that in my home state here at Central Michigan. Joey and I have joked about coaching at the same school, but never really thought it would happen. I’m thrilled at this opportunity!” Joey also beamed with excitement. “To coach at the same school as my brother, it’s hard to imagine anything better. But success for both programs is definitely what can make this even sweeter. Both Carl and I want to create winning programs here.” Carl Erickson, 37 years old, comes to the Chippewas having served as the wide receivers coach for the Michigan Wolverines the past three years. Before that he was the head football coach for Gaylord High School, where in his 5 seasons he lead the Blue Devils to the playoffs in 3 of his 5 seasons. Carl has also been the quarterbacks coach for Northern Michigan University and Grand Valley State, and a graduate assistant for Michigan. Prior to coaching, Carl was a quarterback for the University of Michigan, though he did not see any game action as a Wolverine. He graduated from Michigan in 1995 with a degree in business administration with a master’s degree in sports administration. He attended Gaylord High School in Gaylord, Michigan, where he was an all-state quarterback, and a letter winner in basketball and baseball. Carl and his wife Annie have three children, daughter Lauren (9), daughter Avery (7), and son Brendan (4). Joey Erickson, 35 years old, was previously the head men’s basketball coach at Ludington High School, in Ludington, Michigan before coming to the Chippewas in 2010. He served at Ludington for 8 years, compiling a record of 160-40. Prior to that Joey was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Taylor University, in Upland, Indiana, for 3 years. Before joining the coaching ranks, he was a four year letter winner at Taylor University, where he scored 942 points in his career. He was an all-district player in his senior season. He graduated in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. He earned a Master of Education degree from Ball State University in 1999. Joey graduated from Gaylord High School in Gaylord, Michigan, where he was a 3rd team all-state forward in basketball, an all-conference wide receiver in football, and an all-conference 3rd baseman in baseball. Joey and his wife Emma, have two children, sons Kyle (7), and Taylor (5). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted October 16, 2010 Author Share Posted October 16, 2010 As a long-time follower of dynasties using a variety of text sims (BBCF, DDS:CB, DDS:PB, OOTP, FOF), I’ve often thought about starting my own, but never took that step . . . . until now. I will be following the careers of brothers Carl and Joey Erickson. Carl’s football coaching career will be documented here at GreyDog Software's BBCF dynasty forum. Joey’s basketball coaching career will be chronicled at Wolverine Software’s DDS:CB dynasty forum. If I can keep the dynasty going long enough, I hope to incorporate the dynasties of their sons as their athletic careers progress. Additionally I will track the professional careers of Carl’s and Joey’s graduated players. A few notes about this dynasty: - I am starting Carl Erickson's football dynasty in 2011, with the Big 10, Pac 10, MWC, and WAC re-alignments in place. - I will be using the playoff system - I will try to keep the dynasties in sync as much as possible. Meaning September 2011 in Carl's dynasty will be roughly September 2011 in Joey's dyansty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted October 17, 2010 Author Share Posted October 17, 2010 http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_fb.png [August 1, 2011] New CMU head football coach Carl Erickson announced today that he has filled the remaining openings on his coaching staff for the upcoming 2011 season. Due to the late nature of his hiring and desire to keep some continuity, Erickson has retained the previous regime’s offensive coordinator Gerald Walker (39 years old), defensive coordinator David Gaither (43 years old), and special teams coach Charles Flores (39 years old). “Coach Walker’s offensive philosophy is very similar to mine. We want to run a pro-style offense here, focused on tough, physical running, and mix a little speed in there to balance.” “On defense, while Coach Gaither prefers a 4-3 defense, and we will look to play more 3-4, generally our philosophies are similar. We want quick, fast, mobile defenders who can make plays and cause turnovers.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted October 17, 2010 Author Share Posted October 17, 2010 http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_fb.png [August 6, 2011] The Chippewas finished the 2010 season with a 3-9 record, which led to the previous coach’s firing. Some of the young players who saw action last season are a year older, so expectations are slightly higher this year, though most experts are predicting a middle of the pack finish in the MAC for CMU. This is still a young team though, with only 13 seniors on the roster, so new Coach Carl Erickson will have an opportunity to grow with this team, and give him plenty of time to teach and develop them and mold them into his desired image. Offense The Chippewas will strive to be fairly balanced this season, though the emphasis will be more on establishing a physical, tough ground game. “I really like what Coach Harbaugh has done at Stanford, with his old school style, and we will look to execute a similar style of offense. I am certainly a fan of the spread-type offenses, but I’m a Midwestern guy through and through, and want our offense to take on that style - not quite ‘three yards and a cloud of dust’, but of a similar ilk.” QB James Smith (Jr.) returns to start again this season. He made steady strides last year, and if he continues to move forward, the offense should be in steady hands. He does not have the strongest arm in the league, but his instincts are solid, and when needed, he can get out of the pocket and pick up some yards with his feet. He will be backed up by junior John Arnold and sophomore Donald Daniels. Daniels provides some more options with his feet, so may get more playing time as the season progresses. HB True freshman James Williams appears to have the nod at the HB1 slot, though potentially four backs could see significant playing time. Hector Gonzalez is the most experienced returning back, though that is not saying much. Also expecting to see the field often are junior Gerald Byrd and sophomore Kristopher Thomas. FB Everett Silva (Sr.) returns at fullback, and will see the majority of the action. Sean Ritter (Jr.) will back him up. WR/TE Good things are hoped for with true freshman Robert Hernandez, but unfortunately he will have to play more than desired this season, as options are somewhat limited at the wide receiver position. Starting opposite Hernandez will be junior Joe Anderson, if he can remain eligible. As of press time there were concerns about his academics. Also sure to get opportunities to catch the ball will be junior Clifford Ferguson and sophomore Ralph Dewitt. TE Tight End may be the deepest position in terms of quality for CMU this season. Returning starter John Dutton (Jr.) will be a key receiving option for QB Smith, and senior Gary Burkett will see the field often as well. OL Dustin Stewart (Soph) and Michael Francis (Jr.) will be the starting tackles, while juniors Marcus Trimble and Gary Brown will most likely start at the guard position. Senior co-captain Bradley Taylor returns to start for his 4th season at center, and his experience will be critical for this relatively young offensive line. Backups will include Scott Daniel (Sr) and freshman Jason Sheffield at tackle, Kevin Ratliff at guard, and George Ruiz may see action at any or all offensive line positions. Defense CMU will play a 3-4 defense this year, which is a good thing because depth at defensive line is weak. DL Senior co-captain Chris Johnston will anchor the defensive line as one of the defensive ends. Starting opposite him will be another true freshman, Todd Williams. The nose tackle will be returning starter senior Evan Jones. Depth, while limited, will be provided by Clifford Chapin, Anthony Carver, and Gerald Knight. LB The third of the co-captains, senior Ronald Bethea, returns to start again. He will be the key component of this defense, and will be relied upon to make big play after big play. The other outside backer position is up in the air, and could be filled by another true freshman, Michael Kennedy. Other options include Robert Shank (Jr), Aurelio Reese (Fr.), or Conrad Russell (Jr). The inside linebackers will be Elmer Grove (Jr) and John Thomas (Soph). Also sure to see action are true freshman Rodney Jones, sophomore Justin Taylor, or sophomore Willie Billings. CB/S The secondary was a weak spot for the Chippewas last season, and does not look to be vastly improved this year. True freshman Charles Mock could potentially be a top cornerback in the MAC. But he is a true freshman, so he will see his share of ups and downs this season. Junior Erik Perkins returns to start at the other corner position. Senior Kenneth Cooper will see action as well. CMU lost both starting safeties from a year ago, and has no returning players with much experience at all. The starter at free safety appears to be junior Linwood Mcleod, but another true freshman, Alfred Young, could see significant playing time early. At strong safety, the starter will be the one safety with any hint of prior playing time, senior Nicholas Proctor. Redshirt freshman Kenneth Cooper (no relation to the CB) will be the main backup. K/P Yet another true freshman, Shannon Thorpe, won the kicking job in fall practices, but CMU may end up going for it often on fourth down in the opponents’ territory. Other than tight end, punter looks to be the position with the most quality, as the Chippewas have two good punters in junior Christopher Sanderson and senior James Perkins. KR/PR Kick returning duties look to be handled by freshman Charles Mock. His speed and hands could make him a very dangerous threat. Last year’s top punt returner, Clifford Ferguson, returns this year, though he could be pushed by Mock here as well. Erik Perkins provides another option to return punts. Overall, things should be improved for the Chippewas this season, but not by much. With playing time expected for a number of true freshmen from a recruiting class that only ranked 75th in the NCAA, concern is high for a lot of mistakes. Coach Erickson’s patience will surely be tested this season, and his ability to motivate and teach will be given every opportunity. 2011 CMU Schedule 9/3 – at Minnesota 9/10 – UAB 9/24 – at Akron 10/1 – at Toledo 10/8 – Ball State 10/15 – Eastern Michigan 10/29 – at Northern Illinois 11/12 – Western Michigan 11/19 – Army 11/26 – at UTEP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_fb.png [August 20, 2011] New Chippewas head football coach Carl Erickson held his first media luncheon this week, and here is part of the transcript from the interview: Q. Your brother Joey is the men’s basketball coach at Central Michigan now too. Did the two of you plan to coach at the same school as you were growing up? When we both first got into coaching, we would joke about it, but it was not anything we really planned or strove for. But when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance, and I had his full support. Knowing that we will be able to provide each other almost daily support, help, and a family ear to run things by was something we were both excited about, and definitely was a big plus in taking this job. Though having said that, regardless of whether he was here or not, this is a job I would not have turned down. Q. Can you talk a little bit about your offensive philosophy? I guess you would say I’m a little old school when it comes to the traditional Midwestern style of football. I like our teams to play tough, hard-nosed ball, and offensively we will look to establish the running game first. The trend in college football as we all have seen is the spread offense, spread option style, which I am a big fan of, and we may employ from time to time, but in general we will use a lot of I formations, but we will also put our QB in the shot gun often as well. I want our team to play fundamental, error-free football. Q. How about your defensive philosophy? With so many teams playing the spread, it really puts an emphasis on having speed on defense. The defenders will often be out in space by themselves, and so good tackling fundamentals are extremely important, as well as positioning and staying with your assignments. So I like our D to play quick, fast-break defense I like to call it. We will look to use the 3-4 primarily, and have playmakers at linebacker. Q. Both you and your brother are from the state of Michigan. Do you think that is important as the head coaches of a Michigan school? Well, I don’t think it is a requirement to be from the state of Michigan in order to be successful at a Michigan school, but I do think it can be of great value. I have a lot of contacts around the state, a lot of great relationships with high school coaches, administrators, and other folks who I think can really help from a recruiting standpoint. At least it can help get me in the door, and then it is still up to me and our coaches to seal the deal. But I definitely plan to use my Michigan background to the advantage of our program. Q. Who are some of the key players for the Chippewas this season? We’ll lean heavily on the ability and experience of Ronald Bethea this season. Ronald is one of the best defensive players in the MAC, and we’ll look for him to dominate games at times. Also on the defensive side, defensive end Chris Johnston will be key for us, with his ability to disrupt plays. Offensively, we have some talent on the offensive line, and we need them to come up big. Bradley Taylor, Marcus Trimble, and Michael Francis will anchor the line. John Dutton is one of the better tight ends in the MAC, and Gary Burkett is not far behind him. James Smith returns as our starting quarterback, so we look for him to continue his progress as he has another year of experience. We don’t have a lot of experience in the backfield, so having a strong offensive line is critical for us. Q. What are some of the goals you have for the program? First and foremost, my goal is that every player who comes to our program graduates and leaves here with his degree. Then I would like our program to get to the place where success is expected, where year in and year out we are one of the favorites to win the MAC. I want us to play fundamental, mistake-free football, and to be a program defined by excellence. We will not take short cuts to reach any of those goals either. We will do things the right way. Q. Coach, how do you feel about the new playoff system implemented in college football this year? I am all for it. With the BCS, as a MAC team it would be extremely difficult for us to have a goal for the team to win the National Championship, because the odds were stacked against us. While the challenge is still immense of course, we at least have a better chance if we can get into the playoffs. Anything can happen then. But of course, all of this is moot if we do not get our program to the level where it can be a part of the playoff mix. Q. Coach, if you could, would you tell us a little bit about your family? Well, I am married to the best wife in the world. Annie and I have been married for 12 years, and her support has been critical to my getting to this position. We have three wonderful kids – Lauren is 9 years old, our daughter Avery is 7, and our son Brendan is 4. I am a very blessed man, to have a wonderful family, and to be able to do what I love to do, in coaching football, and actually get paid for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted November 6, 2010 Author Share Posted November 6, 2010 http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_fb.png [9/2/2011] The Central Michigan University Chippewas open up the 2011 season this week with a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. The Chippewas come into this game as 9 point underdogs. The Gophers are coming off of a disappointing 2010 season, one which saw them lose their head coach as a result. New head coach James Hodge has installed a smash mouth style of football led by their junior running back, Thomas Williamson. Defensively the Gophers play a 4-4 defense, with their linebacking crew their strongest area, led by ILB Russell Donaldson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted November 6, 2010 Author Share Posted November 6, 2010 http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_fb.png [9/3/2011] The Carl Erickson era began with a bang today as the Chippewas knocked off their Big Ten opponent, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, by a score of 34-20. Central Michigan racked up an impressive 510 yards of total offense on the day, with 407 of those yards coming through the air. James Smith completed 21 of 30 passes for 287 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. John Arnold also played well during his time, throwing for 120 yards on 6 of 7 passing, along with a touchdown pass. The Chippewas’ first drive of the new season was a case of the haves and the have nots. On the first play from scrimmage, Smith hit Robert Hernandez on a 37 yard completion. On the next play however, freshman James Williams gave the ball over to Minnesota when he fumbled the handoff from Smith. Minnesota jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a 42 yard field goal from Frank Anderson. But Central Michigan promptly scored on their next possession when Ralph Dewitt caught a 60 yard touchdown pass from Smith. Central Michigan exploded in the 2nd quarter however, when they scored 20 points in the quarter to jump out to a 27-10 half time lead. Scoring plays in the quarter included a 21 yard field goal from Shannon Thorpe, a 37 yard touchdown pass from John Arnold to Robert Hernandez, another field goal from Thorpe, this time from 24 yards, and a 7 yard pass play from Smith to tight end John Dutton. The Chippewas wrapped up their scoring with a 6 yard touchdown run by Hector Gonzalez in the fourth quarter. “I’m very happy with the win,” Coach Erickson commented afterwards. “But we have plenty to improve on if we want to keep winning. Three fumbles, losing two of them, 7 penalties, a punting average under 30 yards for the game, all spell trouble as the season progresses if we don’t get better.” James Williams was the leading Chippewa rusher, running 10 times for 40 yards. Hector Gonzalez added 35 yards on 10 carries as well. Central Michigan had a trio of players with 6 catches on the day. Ralph Dewitt had 6 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown, Robert Hernandez had 116 yards on his 6 catches, and a touchdown, while Joe Anderson added 80 yards on his 6 catches. On the defensive side, OLB Ronald Bethea simply dominated as the Gophers had no answer for him. Bethea finished up with 13 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 stuff, and 2 hurries. Evan Jones added 3 sacks himself, as the Chippewas were in Minnesota quarterback Michael Myers’ face all day. His nightmare never let up, as the Chippewas sacked in a total of 9 times. http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/smith_minn_game.jpg James Smith drops back on his 60 yard touchdown pass to Ralph Dewitt http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/Dewitt_Minn_Game.jpg Dewitt catches one of his six passes Central Michigan faces Alabama-Birmingham next week. UAB was demolished by Boston College 52-14 this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted November 14, 2010 Author Share Posted November 14, 2010 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_fb.png</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> [9/12/2011]</p><p> </p><p> The UAB Blazers came into Mount Pleasant, fresh off a 52-14 thrashing at the hands of Boston College, and left here licking their wounds as well. The Chippewas jumped out to a 13-0 lead and never looked back in this one as they defeated the Blazers 27-3. Two Shannon Thorpe field goals (41 yds, 35 yds) started the scoring, and then WR Robert Hernandez got the call on an end around and took it to the house on a 57 yard run to extend the lead to 13-0. UAB added a field goal just before half time to cut into the lead slightly.</p><p> </p><p> The Chippewas added second half touchdowns when James Williams scored on a 15 yard run and Hector Gonzalez punched it in on a 5 yard touchdown run.</p><p> </p><p> Central Michigan Stats:</p><p> Total Yards: 388</p><p> Total Yards Rushing: 272</p><p> Total Yards Passing: 116</p><p> </p><p> Passing:</p><p> James Smith = 11/19, 67 yds, 0-0</p><p> John Arnold = 2/5, 49 yds, 0-0</p><p> </p><p> Rushing:</p><p> Hector Gonzalez = 18-123, 1 TD</p><p> James Williams = 15-99, 1 TD</p><p> Robert Hernandez = 4-54, 1 TD</p><p> </p><p> Receiving: </p><p> Joe Anderson = 4-48 yds</p><p> </p><p> Defense:</p><p> Ronald Bethea = 11 tackles, 2 stuffs</p><p> John Thomas = 9 tackles, 1 stuff</p><p> Elmer Grove = 7 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 stuffs</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted November 14, 2010 Author Share Posted November 14, 2010 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_fb.png</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> [9/26/2011]</p><p> </p><p> The Chippewas suffered their first loss of the season this week, as Akron defeated CMU 20-14 in the first MAC game of the year. The Zips jumped out to 17-0 lead, and the deficit was too much for Central Michigan to make up.</p><p> </p><p> Central Michigan scored its points on a 71 yard pass from James Smith to Hector Gonzalez and a 7 yard touchdown pass from John Arnold to Joe Anderson.</p><p> </p><p> Central Michigan Stats:</p><p> Total Yards Rushing: 136</p><p> Total Yards Passing: 237</p><p> </p><p> Passing:</p><p> James Smith = 9/30, 184 yds, 1-1</p><p> John Arnold = 2/10, 53 yds, 1-1</p><p> </p><p> Rushing:</p><p> James Williams = 9-67 yds</p><p> Hector Gonzalez = 9-65 yds</p><p> </p><p> Receiving:</p><p> Ralph Dewitt = 3-79 yds</p><p> Joe Anderson = 3-13 yds, 1 TD</p><p> Hector Gonzalez = 1-71 yds, 1 TD</p><p> </p><p> Defense:</p><p> John Thomas = 12 tackles, 1 sack, 3 stuffs</p><p> Linwood McLeod = 6 tackles, 1 interception</p><p> </p><p> Central Michigan's record now stands at 2-1, and 0-1 in the MAC.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted November 14, 2010 Author Share Posted November 14, 2010 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://www.gregdomsten.com/images/erickson/cmu_fb.png</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> [10/3/2011]</p><p> </p><p> Coming off of its first loss of the season, Central Michigan looked to rebound against the Toledo Rockets this week. The Chippewas did just that as they easily handled Toledo, winning this one by a score of 34-3 at Toledo.</p><p> </p><p> Joe Anderson scored two first quarter touchdowns on passes of 5 and 27 yards, first from James Smith and then from John Arnold. Shannon Thorpe added field goals of 30 yards and 39 yards to wrap up the first half scoring, with CMU's lead set at 20-0.</p><p> </p><p> The Chippewas received second half scores from James Williams, on a 15 yard run, and fullback Sean Ritter's 2 yard catch of a James Smith pass. Toledo managed a late 41 yard field goal, but those were the only points it could muster.</p><p> </p><p> Central Michigan Stats:</p><p> Total Passing Yards = 375</p><p> Total Rushing Yards = 114</p><p> </p><p> Passing:</p><p> James Smith = 17/28, 300 yds, 2-1</p><p> John Arnold = 4/10, 75 yds, 1-0</p><p> </p><p> Rushing:</p><p> James Williams = 9-70 yds, 1 TD</p><p> Hector Gonzalez = 14-30 yds</p><p> </p><p> Receiving:</p><p> Robert Hernandez = 7-147 yds</p><p> Joe Anderson = 4-101 yds, 2 TDs</p><p> Ralph Dewitt = 5-95 yds</p><p> </p><p> Defense:</p><p> Ronald Bethea = 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 stuffs</p><p> Todd Williams = 3 tackles, 3 sacks</p><p> Linwood McLeod = 3 tackles, 1 interception</p><p> </p><p> Central Michigan's record now stands at 3-1, and a conference record of 1-1</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorjones Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 <p>A very interesting diary, man. The pics from the first game were a bit of a nice touch.</p><p> </p><p> I'll be checking it out.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBlue2419 Posted December 18, 2010 Author Share Posted December 18, 2010 Just posting to let anyone reading this know that it is still on, I have just had to put it on hold for a brief time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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