Tag: San Jose State

San Jose State will welcome Air Force Saturday night

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball will welcome the Air Force Academy to the Event Center for a 6:00 pm tip Saturday. The game can be streamed online on the Mountain West Network. Justin Allegri will have the radio call on KLIV 1590 AM, broadcasting their final men’s basketball game of the season.

Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game.

Game No. 19
Air Force (8-11, 3-4 MW) at San Jose State (3-15, 0-6 MW)
Saturday, Jan. 26, 6:00 pm PT
The Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.

Live Stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the “Live Stats” feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the men’s basketball schedule page to follow the action.

What Would a Win Mean?
SJSU’s fourth win over Air Force in the last six games. After the Spartans won three straight in 2016 and 2017, the Falcons swept both games last season (78-71 and 83-61). A win would also put an end to SJSU’s nine-game losing skid.

Newcomers Amp up Offense
The Spartans have played nine first-year players this season, including regular starters Michael Steadman, Zach Chappell, Craig LeCesne and Brae Ivey. The newcomers are accounting for 66.9% of the Spartans’ offense (783-1170).

Steadman alone is accounting for nearly 19% of the Spartans’ offense with 222 points.

Baumann the Boss
Sophomore Noah Baumann is shooting lights out from beyond the arc this season, so good in fact that he leads the MW in 3-point percentage at 50.6 percent. Baumann also ranks in the top-10 in the MW in 3-pointers per game (2.4)

In the loss to Utah State, Baumann had one of the most impressive performances of his career as he scored a career-high 29 points and tied the school record with seven 3-pointers (7-of-10). He also set career highs in 3-point attempts and field goal attempts.

Baumann holds the top two scoring performances by a Spartan this season with 29 vs. USU and 23 vs. Northern Arizona. He’s averaging 10.2 points in conference play, which is tied for the team lead and is shooting 48% from 3-point range in conference games.

Baumann has hit at least one 3-point basket in 16 straight games this season. It’s the longest such streak since Devante Wilson hit 17-straight in 2013-14.

Last season as a freshman, Baumann finished the year 40-for-87 (.460) from the 3-point range. Entering Saturday’s game, he is 44-for-87, with 12 regular season games remaining.

Staff Shakeup
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach and promoted director of operations Ryan Cooper to assistant coach.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman has made a big impact this season as a leader on and off the court. The 6’10″ forward is averaging a team-high 12.3 points per game and ranks fifth in the MW with 8.4 rebounds per game. He has six double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the conference and has scored in double figures in 15-of-18 games. He also has eight games with double-digit rebounds.

Changes
Prioleau has used seven different lineups throughout the season with no player starting each time out. Senior Oumar Barry had started the first 17 games before an injury kept him out of the lineup at Wyoming. Seven newcomers have made starts, including freshmen Seneca Knight, Zach Chappell, and Trey Smith.

Series History vs. Air Force
Saturday’s game will be the 14th overall meeting between the Spartans and Falcons. SJSU has a pair of three-game win streaks in the series. The Spartans have won three of the last five games, however, Air Force is on a two-game win streak.

Air Force checks in with an 8-11 overall record and 3-4 mark in conference play and is tied for sixth in the conference standings. The Falcons are led by a great offensive weapon in Lavelle Scottie, who ranks fifth in the MW in scoring, in conference play with 17.3 points per game. Junior forward Ryan Swan will prove to be a big test for Michael Steadman for the boards as he checks in right behind Steadman with 8.0 rebounds per game and is second in the conference with 2.7 offensive rebounds per game.

The Falcons are led by seventh-year head coach Dave Pilipovich.

San Jose State podcast with Ana Kieu: Men’s basketball continues to tumble; Prayers up for former football head coach Dick Tomey

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB and @CoachBrennan

On the San Jose State podcast with Ana:

1. SJSU went cold last Saturday and got blown out by UNLV 94-56 in Las Vegas.

2. Former SJSU head coach Dick Tomey underwent treatment for lung cancer last week. Tomey coached the Spartans from 2005-2009.

3. SJSU wrapped up a brief, two-game road trip in Laramie, Wyo. against the Wyoming Cowboys Wednesday.

4. SJSU tight end Josh Oliver was the most targeted TE in the country a season ago.

Catch Ana on the San Jose State podcast each week at SportsRadioService.com. Don’t forget folks, you can follow Ana directly on Twitter @AnaKieu.

Former San Jose State football coach Dick Tomey undergoes treatment for lung cancer

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State community didn’t receive good news Friday afternoon, as former football head coach Dick Tomey is undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

San Jose State said in a statement: “The entire San Jose State University community is saddened to learn that beloved football coach Dick Tomey is undergoing treatment for lung cancer. We hold Coach Tomey in very high regard for everything he has done for our university and, specifically, for our football program since he became a member of family in 2005. Even after he concluded being our head football coach, he continues being a viable mentor, trusted voice of reason, visionary, and loyal friend to our student-athletes, coaches, athletics staff and friends of our athletics program. Our best wishes go out to Coach Tomey, his family and all who love and adore him during this challenging time.”

Tomey was named SJSU’s football head coach after 2004. He was a head coach who turned around the football landscape and culture first at the University of Hawaii (1977-86) and then at the University of Arizona (1987-2000). He accomplished the same in his five seasons (2005-09) with the Spartans.

The 2006 Spartans finished with a 9-4 win-loss record, were invited to play in a post-season bowl game for the first time in 16 seasons and won the inaugural New Mexico Bowl over the University of New Mexico. SJSU also had a 6-6 win-loss record in 2008 with one of the program’s best defensive teams in the last 20 years. Tomey’s teams were known for their defensive prowess.

More importantly, Tomey provided the necessary leadership and vision to significantly overhaul the academic deficiencies that plagued the San Jose State football program at the time he became head coach. SJSU became the model institution among NCAA Division I FBS for academic reform.

In appreciation for his continued athletics program involvement and impact, the Dick Tomey Class Act Award is presented each spring at the SAMMY Awards sponsored by the SJSU Student-Athletes Success Services (SASS) unit.

San Jose State podcast with Ana Kieu: What’s up with men’s basketball?; How about some football?

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB and @FBallGameplan

On the San Jose State podcast with Ana:

1. SJSU men’s basketball got blown out by Boise State 87-64 last Saturday.

2. SJSU MBB  lost to Utah State 81-63 Wednesday.

3. SJSU MBB will host a Brew Fest at the February 2nd home game against the San Diego State Aztecs. Will this debatable move attract more fans?

4. SJSU football: Tight end Josh Oliver highlights the TE group for the Reese’s Senior Bowl on January 26th.

5. SJSU FB will celebrate their incoming recruiting class on February 6th.

Ana does the San Jose State podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com

San Jose State drops seventh straight game in 81-63 loss to Utah State

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball was looking to snap a six-game losing skid, but the Utah State Aggies were a tough customer in Wednesday night’s conference matchup inside the Event Center.

Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau went with a starting lineup consisting of Michael Steadman, Brae Ivey, Zach Chappell, Oumar Barry, and Noah Baumann.

The Spartans won the tip and got off to a fast start, thanks to Baumann. Baumann hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring. Chappell followed up with a 3 on the fastbreak. It was 6-0 at the 18:31 mark. Baumann proceeded to pour in the points with three consecutive free throws. SJSU was in the driver’s seat 9-5 at the 16:10 mark.

Fast forward to the 12:03 mark when the Spartans expanded their lead to 24-9. Baumann was on fire with 18 points on 5-for-5 3-point shooting around that time. Yet, USU gave SJSU a hard time with a sudden increase in points, including 3s from Sam Merrill, Brock Miller, and Diogo Brito.

The Spartans weren’t ready to suffer defeat to close out the first. Seneca Knight joined the 3-point party with a 3 to put the Spartans ahead by 10, 27-17, with 9:47 left.

The Aggies heated up at the right time with more 3s, layups, and free throws, but the Spartans cooled off for the most part as the clock winded down. Steadman sank a layup in the paint and Baumann hit a 3 to pull the Spartans within six, 41-35, with 48 seconds left. SJSU shrugged off to the locker room, trailing 41-35 at halftime.

The second half was basically a back-and-forth affair between the two teams. Brito made a pair of free throws to put the Aggies up 43-35 at the 19:28 mark. The Spartans responded with back-to-back 3s from Baumann and Chappell to pull within two, 43-41, at the 16:21 mark. However, Brito hit a 3 to help the Aggies to a 46-41 lead just 27 seconds later. Still, it was anyone’s game.

The Spartans hung tough as a comeback was possible after a 63-49 deficit at the under-eight timeout. SJSU tied their season-high in 3s with ten 3s.

Baumann hit a 3 and knocked down a jumper to bring the Spartans within fifteen, 78-63, with 1:13 left. But the Aggies responded with Tauriawn Knight’s 3 to put the game out of reach for the Spartans 81-63 at the final timeout with 29.9 seconds left.

The Spartans dropped their seventh straight game in a 81-63 loss to the Aggies. With the loss, SJSU falls to 3-13, 0-4 Mountain West. With the win, USU rises to 13-5, 3-2 Mountain West.

SJSU heads to Paradise, Nev. to take on the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels Saturday at 4:30 pm PT.

San Jose State football receives $1 million gift from SJSU alumnus

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By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State University was pleased to announce Wednesday that they received a $1 million gift commitment from alumnus Kevin Swanson (’87 Finance), and his wife Sandy Swanson. Their gift will contribute to a new football operations center on the east side of the CEFCU Stadium, Home of the Spartans.

“This gift reflects the support and love Kevin and Sandy have for our football program and for San Jose State University,” said director of athletics Marie Tuite. “Win or lose, they are committed to improving the experiences and well-being of our student-athletes through their generous donation. They understand the value of the football operations center to San Jose State, and their generosity is an indication of their belief in Coach Brent Brennan and his staff. We offer a sincere and heartfelt ‘thank you’ to two of the best Spartans in our community.”

Supporting Common Goals
The Swansons’ San Jose financial services office is decorated in Spartan regalia, from a SJSU flag hanging on the wall to Kevin’s diploma. As an undergraduate, Kevin was active in the Delta Upsilon fraternity, a network of friends and colleagues, who invited him back after graduating to serve as a fraternity adviser. For 11 years, he mentored Spartans and Sandy attended countless pledge dances and university events. The chance to connect with students on a personal and professional level inspired the Swansons to attend Spartan football games, enjoying tailgates with a community of friends.

“One thing I love about athletics is the opportunity it brings to students who wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to pursue an education,” said Kevin. “It offers the opportunity for young men and women to learn more about themselves and to work on a team with a common goal as a community.”

In 2018, the couple learned about Beyond Football, which offers unique programming for Spartan football players to develop career and life skills that extend beyond the sport. Together, they volunteered to offer mock interviews alongside a cohort of Silicon Valley professionals to critique the students’ interview techniques. The chance to interact one-on-one with football players in a professional capacity inspired them to find a lasting way to give back.

“It really struck us that the football team and the Beyond Football program were really making a difference in these young men’s lives,” said Sandy, a CSU Hayward graduate, who calls SJSU her adopted alma mater. “That type of foresight on the part of the athletics department is inspirational for us, and we’d love to see those types of things continue.”

“Kevin and Sandy Swanson have been amazing to us since we came on board two years ago,” said head football coach Brent Brennan. “They believe, like many of us do, that in the process of building a top-flight football program, we need to invest at a high level. This gift is another huge step in the direction of giving our program the facilities it needs to compete at the highest level in the Mountain West. I am so thankful for their belief in what we are building here.”

Football Matters
The Swansons believe that by supporting the football program, they can multiply their impact for all student-athletes at SJSU.

“The impact that athletics has on athletes in any sport is significant and one of the reasons we are making this donation,” said Kevin. “We believe that on most campuses football is a major factor in fundraising and revenue generation for the entire campus. When you have a strong football program, you have a strong athletics program. Athletics really does change students’ lives.”

“Kevin and Sandy are longtime passionate supporters of San Jose State University and of Spartan football, and this commitment speaks volumes about just how passionate they are,” said Paul Lanning, vice president for university advancement and CEO of SJSU’s Tower Foundation. “We’re grateful and proud to count them among the growing number of major benefactors who believe in this project and want to see it happen as quickly as possible.”

To track fundraising progress and learn how you can support the football operations center, please visit sjsufootball.com or contact Joshua Thiel, deputy athletics director for athletics advancement, at 408-924-1697 or via email at joshua.thiel@sjsu.edu.

About San Jose State
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, SJSU provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study offered through its eight colleges.

With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, SJSU continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce The university is proud of the accomplishments of its more than 260,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.

About San Jose State Athletics
SJSU sponsors 22 (nine men’s and 13 women’s) NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports programs for approximately 470 student-athletes annually. In football, the Spartans are a member of Division I’s FBS, the NCAA’s highest level of competition.

The Spartans’ primary conference affiliation is with the MW. Selected teams belong to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the Golden Coast Conference (GCC).

SJSU has 10 NCAA team championships and 52 NCAA individual titles. 62 Spartans competed in one or more Olympic Games. Spartan athletes have won seven gold, six silver and seven bronze medals at the Olympics.

Annually, about one-third of the student-athlete population earns either an institutional, conference or national recognition based on outstanding academic performance.

San Jose State concludes homestand against Utah State Wednesday

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball will host the Utah State Aggies at the Event Center Wednesday night. The Spartans are looking for their first win in conference play this season. The game will be streamed online on the Mountain West Network and can be heard on KLIV 1590 AM. Justin Allegri will have the Spartans’ call.

Here’s what you need to know about Wednesday’s game.

Game No. 16
Utah State (12-5, 2-2) at San Jose State (3-12, 0-3)
Wednesday, January 16, 7:00 pm PT
Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.

Live Stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the “Live Stats” feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the men’s basketball schedule page to follow the action.

What Would a Win Mean?
SJSU is looking to win back-to-back games against USU for the first time since 1996. That season, SJSU won both games by a combined four points as they edged USU 68-65 at home on February 8 and again in the Big West Tournament Championship game 76-75 in overtime to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman has made a big impact this season as a leader on and off the court. The 6’10″ forward is averaging a team-high 12.9 points per game and ranks fourth in the Mountain West with 8.9 rebounds per game. On the national scale, he ranks 49th in the country in rebounds per game and 43rd in defensive rebounds per game. He has six double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the conference and 40th nationally and has scored in double figures in 13-of-15 games. He also has eight games with double-digit rebounds.

Staff Shakeup
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau made some changes to his staff as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach and promoted director of operations Ryan Cooper to assistant coach.

Winning the Boards
Wednesday’s matchup with USU features a pair of very good rebounding teams. USU leads the MW in rebounding margin at +10.8 while SJSU is just behind in third at +3.3. SJSU has the upper hand in offensive rebounds with an average of 11.3 per game, which is second in the conference, however, USU leads the MW in defensive rebounds at 30.8 per game. SJSU averages 25.5, tied for sixth.

Oh my, Oumar!
Senior center Oumar Barry is playing his best basketball as a Spartan as of late. Against Bethune-Cookman, he finished with a then-career-high 13 points and seven rebounds. He followed that up with his most dominating performance at SJSU as he recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, his first-career game with double-digit rebounds. Barry also blocked two shots and was 7-of-10 at the free throw line to help the Spartans to the victory.

Barry followed up with another double-double against Stanford (15 points, 10 rebounds). After playing 38 career games without recording a double-double, he recorded two in as many games.

Barry then scored a career-high 18 points before fouling out with 4:36 to play at Cal and led the team with 11 points at Saint Mary’s.

Barry is coming off his seventh game this season in double-figure scoring after dropping 16 points in the loss to Boise State.

Up-and-Coming Baumann
Sophomore Noah Baumann is shooting lights out from beyond the arc this season. So good in fact that his 52.3 percent clip leads the MW. He is also averaging 2.3 3’s per game, which ranks in the top-10 in the MW. He has hit at least one 3-point bucket in 13-straight games.

Series History With Utah State
USU holds the series lead at 60-22, however, it is SJSU who has the latest win. SJSU defeated USU 64-62 last season at home on February 28. It was the first win for the Spartans in the series since February 18, 2008.

The Aggies, under first-year head coach Craig Smith, are one of the most well-rounded teams in the conference. They lead the MW in scoring defense and rank second in scoring offense. They also lead the MW in FG% defense, FT%, rebounding margin, blocked shots, assists and defensive rebounds.

San Jose State drops third straight conference game in 87-64 loss to Boise State

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Photo credit: @SJSUMBB

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball was looking to rebound following five straight losses. SJSU returned home to host the Boise State Broncos inside the Event Center Saturday afternoon.

 

Prior to the midday tip-off, Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau announced his starting lineup of Michael Steadman, Brae Ivey, Oumar Barry, Noah Baumann and Craig LeCesne.

The Spartans won the tip and the game went underway on the SJSU campus. The Broncos got on the board first, thanks to Alex Hobbs’ 3-pointer, but Steadman hit a jumper in the paint to make it a 1-point game at the 18:53 mark of the opening half.

The half turned out to be a back-and-forth affair. Pretty much every time BSU expanded its lead, SJSU countered with a shot or two to pull within for a reduced deficit. Midway through the half, however, big game Baumann showed up, knocking down a jumper and hitting a 3 on a fastbreak to help the Spartans reduce its deficit to just six, 21-15, at the 10:52 mark.

 

 

 

Though, SJSU was just getting started. With 7:26 left in the half, SJSU made four of their last five shots from the field and shot for a 2-pointer after a media timeout. That attempt for a 2 was successful as the Spartans’ ascending play was finished off by Ivey, who helped his team pick up an extra two points. After that, SJSU proceeded to pour in the points for a 7-0 run to make it a 2-point game. BSU ended SJSU’s impressive run when Hobbs knocked down a jumper to extend his team’s lead to 28-24 with 4:48 left in the half.

Despite the deficit, SJSU received some much-needed assistance from Barry, who shot a layup and a lone free throw to make it a 1-point game. BSU responded with a 3 by Pat Dembley, but a brand-new response turned out to be easy as 1-2-3 as Ivey was fouled from beyond the arc and somehow made all three shots at the free throw line to make it a 1-point game again.

As the clock winded down, Hobbs hit two consecutive 3s, while Ivey made a pair of free throws. But the late efforts weren’t enough for SJSU, who trailed Boise State 37-34 at the half. The Spartans sulked on their way to the locker room, but remembered that a second half comeback was possible as they trailed by only three points.

The Spartans’ shooting went cold for quite a while in the second half. Meanwhile, the Broncos heated up at the right time, which wasn’t good news for the Spartans, who had hoped to mount a comeback to pull off the upset. Hobbs, Zach Haney and Justinian Jessup all recorded double-digit points in the half.

If there was a silver lining for the Spartans, it was the freshman guard Kaison Hammonds, who wowed the home crowd with a 3 to put three points on the board to reduce the deficit to 17, 58-41, at the 13:47 mark of the half.

Sure, SJSU’s chances of tying the score to force overtime were dim, but Zach Chappell gave the crowd something to cheer about as he had a steal and a 2 for the layup on a fastbreak. Yet, SJSU trailed 73-51 with 6:54 left in the half.

 

 

Chappell continued to work wonders as he made a pair of free throws on a fastbreak with 2:58 left in the half. Yet, SJSU trailed 83-55 at the final media timeout of the game, so the last few minutes were pointless on the Spartans’ end of the court. SJSU lost to BSU 87-64.

SJSU’s record fell to 3-12, 0-3 MW, while BSU’s record increased to 8-8, 3-0 MW.

SJSU welcomes the Utah State Aggies on Wednesday, January 16 at 7:00 pm PT.

San Jose State back home to host Boise State Saturday afternoon

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State men’s basketball is set to host Boise State for a Mountain West clash on Saturday afternoon. Justin Allegri will have the Spartans call for KLIV 1590 AM and fans can watch the game on the Mountain West Network.

Game No. 15
Boise State (7-8, 2-0) at San José State (3-11, 0-2)
Saturday, January 12, 12:00 pm PT
Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.

Live Stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the “Live Stats” feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the men’s basketball schedule page to follow the action.

What Would a Win Mean?
The Spartans are looking for their fourth win on the season and their first in conference play since February 28, 2018 against Utah State. SJSU will also look to win their fourth game of the series with Boise State.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman has made a big impact this season as a leader on and off the court. The 6’10 forward is averaging a team-high 13.4 points per game and ranks second in the Mountain West with 9.4 rebounds per game. On the national scale, the big man ranks 30th in the country in rebounds per game and 26th in defensive rebounds per game. He has six double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the conference and 23rd nationally and has scored in double figures in 12-of-13 games, including 11 straight. He also has eight games with double-digit rebounds.

Staff Shakeup 
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach and promoted director of operations Ryan Cooper to assistant coach.

Oh My, Oumar! 
Senior center Oumar Barry is playing his best basketball as a Spartan as of late. Against Bethune-Cookman, he finished with a then-career-high 13 points and seven rebounds. He followed that up with his most dominating performance at SJSU as he recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, his first-career game with double digit rebounds. He also blocked two shots and was 7-of-10 at the free throw line to help the Spartans to a victory.

Barry followed up with another double-double against Stanford (15 points, 10 rebounds). After playing 38 career games without recording a double-double, he now has two in the last four games.

Barry has then scored a career-high 18 points before fouling out with 4:36 to play at Cal and led the team with 11 points at Saint Mary’s. In his last five games, he is averaging 11.4 points per game.

The Baumann Factor
Sophomore Noah Baumann is shooting lights out from beyond the arc this season. So good in fact that his 52.4% clip ranks second in the MW. He is also averaging 2.4 3’s per game, which ranks in the top 10 in the MW. He has hit at least one 3-point bucket in 12-straight games.

Series History with Boise State
Boise State holds a 31-3 lead in the all-time series. The Spartans’ three wins all came at home: February 2, 2002 (62-51), January 14, 2010 (76-74) and March 5, 2016 (68-63).

Boise State currently leads the MW with a 2-0 record in league play and are 7-8 overall. The Broncos began conference play with wins at Wyoming (69-55) and vs. San Diego State (88-64). Three players are averaging more than 10 points per game led by RJ Williams (13.3). The Broncos are led by head coach Leon Rice, who’s in his ninth season.

Former San Jose State offensive coordinator named to College Football Hall of Fame

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

Dennis Erickson’s last stop as an assistant football coach was at San Jose State for the 1979 through 1981 seasons before a long, successful career as a head coach. Even though it’s just the first week of the New Year, Erickson will be planning a December 10th visit in New York City for an induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Erickson and Joe Taylor, who won 70.6% of his games and four national championships at historically black colleges, are the two head coaches joining 13 players to be named to the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame class.

During his three seasons at SJSU, Erickson oversaw one of the most potent offenses in college football with Jack Elway as the Spartans head coach. SJSU had a winning season in each of his three years and was the 1981 Pacific Coast Athletic Association champion.

With Ed Luther at quarterback in 1979, SJSU was second nationally in passing offense and seventh in total offense. The next two seasons with Steve Clarkson at quarterback, SJSU was 10th in passing offense. The 1981 team included future NFL players: halfback Gerald Willhite, wide receivers Stacey Bailey, Mervyn Fernandez and Tim Kearse, and tight end Tracy Franz, was sixth in Division I-A in scoring offense.

Erickson came to SJSU after assistant coaching positions at Idaho and Fresno State. His first college head coaching position was at Idaho from 1982-85 followed by stops at Wyoming in 1986, Washington State from 1987-88, Miami (Fla.) from 1989-94, Oregon State from 1999-2002, back to Idaho in 2006 and Arizona State from 2007-11. Erickson’s teams were declared national champions for the 1989 and 1991 seasons and won six conference titles. He was a two-time national Coach of the Year and compiled a head coaching record of 179-96-1.

Erickson also was a head coach in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks (1995-98) and the San Francisco 49ers (2003-04). He was the only one of six FBS coaches on the ballot named to the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame class. Taylor was the coach selected from the Divisional ballot covering NCAA Divisions I-AA (now Football championship Subdivision — FCS), II, III and NAIA.

Coaches are eligible for consideration after 10 seasons as a head coach and achieving a winning percentage of .600 or higher for a career of 100 or more games.

Former SJSU head coaches John Ralston (1993-96) and Fielding Yost (1900) and halfback Willie Heston from the 1898 through 1900 Spartan teams are enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame based in Atlanta, Ga.