Early Life
Erickson was raised in Ferndale, Washington, 100 miles (160 km) north of Seattle, and in Everett, 25 miles (40 km) north of Seattle. His father, Robert "Pink" Erickson, was the head football coach at Ferndale High School before becoming the head coach at Cascade High School in Everett. The younger Erickson played quarterback at the rival Everett High, coached by next-door neighbor, Bill Dunn. This "made for some quiet dinners on game day." As a junior, Dennis was the starting quarterback, beating out the former starter, senior Mike Price, another future college head coach.
Price, the son of the head coach of Everett Junior College, was moved to defense as a safety. When Erickson left Washington State for Miami in 1989, he recommended Mike Price (who got the job) as his replacement and rented Erickson's Pullman home. Erickson had beaten out Price for the Washington State job in 1987. Six years earlier in 1981, Price had beaten Erickson out for the job at Weber State College in Ogden, Utah. While at Idaho, Erickson was 2-2 in conference play against Price's Weber teams. At Oregon State, Erickson was 2-1 against Price's Washington State teams, not playing in 2002.
Erickson graduated from Everett High School in 1965 and accepted a football scholarship to Montana State in Bozeman to play for head coach, Jim Sweeney. There, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Erickson was an effective undersized quarterback from 1966 to 1968, earning all-conference honors in the Big Sky. Immediately after his senior season, he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Montana State Bobcats in 1969. In 1970 at age 23, Erickson became the head coach at Billings Central Catholic High School, staying for just a single season.
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