Post by nabeav on Dec 1, 2016 10:10:59 GMT -8
The prevailing theory is that year 3 under a new coach is when you find out if you've got the right coach in place. So how have third years gone for coaches in Oregon State history?
F.S. Norcross (1908) - first coach to make it to three seasons. Coming off an undefeated 6-0 season in 1907 (including a 4-0 win over the Ducks), Norcross' squad struggled in 1908, starting 4-0-1 with wins over Puget Sound, Columbia AC, Willamette and Whitman before suffering three straight losses to Oregon, Washington and the Multnomah Athletic Club by a combined score of 51-10. Norcross was replaced in 1909 by Sol Metzger.
EJ Stewart (1915) - the next coach to make it three seasons. Like Norcross, Stewart's squad went undefeated in year 2, finishing 7-0-2 (tied Washington 0-0 and Oregon 3-3. Thrilling). Also like Norcross, the Orangemen backslid in year three, finishing 5-3 and getting shut out by Oregon. Also like Norcross, year 3 would be the end of the line for Stewart. He was replaced by Joseph Pipall in 1916.
R.B. Rutherford (1922) - Following 2 year stints by Pipall and H.W. Hargiss, Rutherford went into 1922 on the heels of a winning season in 1921 (4-3-2...Tied Oregon 0-0). Again, year three proved difficult, as Rutherford's squad finished 3-4 and was shut out by the Webfoots. Rutherford would be the first coach in school history to make it to year four.*
*NOTE: The media guide is a big ambiguious on who actually coached. While stating all time coaching record, Rutherford is listed as the coach from 1920-23, but the year by year breakdown lists him as only coaching 1920. Chuck Rose is the coach in 1921, Gap Powell is the coach in 1922, and Percy Locey is the coach in 1923.
Paul Schissler (1926) - Schissler is the first coach to improve on his record from his second season, finishing 7-1 on the heels of a 7-2 season, beating Oregon both years. Schissler would go on to coach 9 seasons, finishing 48-30-2 and 5-4-1 vs. Oregon
Lon Stiner (1935) - Stiner had a rough go in year 2, finishing 3-6-2, but rebounded strongly, going 6-4-1 in 1935 (lost Civil War). Stiner would go on to coach for 14 seasons, delivering the only Rose Bowl victory in school history during the 1941 season.
Kip Taylor (1951) - Taylor had a rough go (as I imagine most people named Kip do.) He also improved during year 3, but it was from 3-6 to 4-6 (beat the Ducks both years. In fact, despite finishing his six year tenure 20-36, Taylor won his first five Civil Wars, before getting pounded 33-14 at the end of a 1-8 1954 season that would prove to be his last.
Tommy Prothro (1957) - Mr. Prothro took over that 1-8 squad and went 6-3, 7-3-1 (played in the Rose Bowl), and then 8-2 in year three. Unfortunately for him, this was during the "no repeat appearances" time of the Rose Bowl, and he had to settle for getting his first win in the Civil War as a reward for another stellar season. Prothro would coach ten seasons, finishing 63-37-2, enduring only one losing season during his decade as the head man in Corvallis.
Dee Andros (1967) - We all know about this season. 7-2-1 with wins over #2 Purdue, a dubious tie vs. #2 UCLA, and a win over OJ and the #1 Trojans. Finished 8th in the country. The high point of Andros' coaching tenure, as OSU would descend into the 28 year losing streak a few seasons later. Andros' last year was a 1-10 1975 season.
Craig Fertig (1978) - Year three would also prove to be the high point for Mr. Fertig. Following consecutive 2 win seasons, Fertig "improved" to 3-7-1 in 1978, before going 1-10 and getting his walking papers in 1979.
Joe Avezzano (1982) - Ugh. Went 1-9-1 in year 3. Amazingly, this was the second straight year of improvement, as he went 0-11 and 1-10 respectively in his first two years. He would improve again in year four, finishing 2-8-1. Unfortunately for him, people did not "respect the process," and he was canned after year five when he "regressed" to 2-9.
Dave Kragthorpe (1987) - The Air Express was a little behind schedule in 1987, as Oregon State was not able to improve upon the 3-8 record of Kragthorpe's first two seasons. The Beavs finished 2-9. Year four (1988) brought the first win over Oregon in 13 seasons, and our first 4 win season since 1971. There were four more wins in 1989, before the Air Express crashed into Marys Peak, finishing 1-10 in 1990. There were no survivors.
Jerry Pettibone (1993) - Pettibone climbed back to the 4 win total in year three after consecutive 1 win seasons in his first two seasons. Like Kragthorpe's team, Jerry's Kids repeated the four win effort in year four (1994), before bottoming out in year five with a solitary win. Unlike Kragthorpe, Pettibone was given a few more seasons, producing 2 wins in '95 and 3 in '96, before being replaced by coach Riley in 1997 (my freshman year at OSU).
Dennis Erickson (2001) - Hoo boy. Fresh off an 11-1, Joey 5 Pickin', Fiesta Bowl winnin' season, Erickson was given a preseason #1 ranking going into year 3, and produced 5 wins and missed a bowl for the only time in his four year run as head coach of the Beavs. Rebounded in year four, going 8-5 and getting waxed in the Insight.com bowl by Pittsburgh (a game I remember more for the Papa Murphy's Hawaiian pizza that gave me food poisoning than the result. I spent all night with a waste basket in front of me and toilet behind.)
Mike Riley (2005) - Riley also produced a five win season after two consecutive bowl appearances in his third season. However, year four would begin the longest continuous stretch of winning seasons since Nixon was in office, as the Beavs would win 36 games in a four year stretch for the first time in school history. This was followed by two consecutive losing seasons before Riley again righted the ship cranking out two more bowl appearances in years 10 and 11 of Riley II. Of course, year 12 was the final ride of Sheriff Riley, which brings us up to date with the new sheriff, who has promised to make the Beavers great again by changing the culture created by the winningest (and, in fairness, losingest) coach in school history.
Gary Andersen (2017) - It seems fairly possible that he could produce five wins in year three, just as Riley and Erickson did before him. Unlike them though, that would be an improvement over his first two seasons.
F.S. Norcross (1908) - first coach to make it to three seasons. Coming off an undefeated 6-0 season in 1907 (including a 4-0 win over the Ducks), Norcross' squad struggled in 1908, starting 4-0-1 with wins over Puget Sound, Columbia AC, Willamette and Whitman before suffering three straight losses to Oregon, Washington and the Multnomah Athletic Club by a combined score of 51-10. Norcross was replaced in 1909 by Sol Metzger.
EJ Stewart (1915) - the next coach to make it three seasons. Like Norcross, Stewart's squad went undefeated in year 2, finishing 7-0-2 (tied Washington 0-0 and Oregon 3-3. Thrilling). Also like Norcross, the Orangemen backslid in year three, finishing 5-3 and getting shut out by Oregon. Also like Norcross, year 3 would be the end of the line for Stewart. He was replaced by Joseph Pipall in 1916.
R.B. Rutherford (1922) - Following 2 year stints by Pipall and H.W. Hargiss, Rutherford went into 1922 on the heels of a winning season in 1921 (4-3-2...Tied Oregon 0-0). Again, year three proved difficult, as Rutherford's squad finished 3-4 and was shut out by the Webfoots. Rutherford would be the first coach in school history to make it to year four.*
*NOTE: The media guide is a big ambiguious on who actually coached. While stating all time coaching record, Rutherford is listed as the coach from 1920-23, but the year by year breakdown lists him as only coaching 1920. Chuck Rose is the coach in 1921, Gap Powell is the coach in 1922, and Percy Locey is the coach in 1923.
Paul Schissler (1926) - Schissler is the first coach to improve on his record from his second season, finishing 7-1 on the heels of a 7-2 season, beating Oregon both years. Schissler would go on to coach 9 seasons, finishing 48-30-2 and 5-4-1 vs. Oregon
Lon Stiner (1935) - Stiner had a rough go in year 2, finishing 3-6-2, but rebounded strongly, going 6-4-1 in 1935 (lost Civil War). Stiner would go on to coach for 14 seasons, delivering the only Rose Bowl victory in school history during the 1941 season.
Kip Taylor (1951) - Taylor had a rough go (as I imagine most people named Kip do.) He also improved during year 3, but it was from 3-6 to 4-6 (beat the Ducks both years. In fact, despite finishing his six year tenure 20-36, Taylor won his first five Civil Wars, before getting pounded 33-14 at the end of a 1-8 1954 season that would prove to be his last.
Tommy Prothro (1957) - Mr. Prothro took over that 1-8 squad and went 6-3, 7-3-1 (played in the Rose Bowl), and then 8-2 in year three. Unfortunately for him, this was during the "no repeat appearances" time of the Rose Bowl, and he had to settle for getting his first win in the Civil War as a reward for another stellar season. Prothro would coach ten seasons, finishing 63-37-2, enduring only one losing season during his decade as the head man in Corvallis.
Dee Andros (1967) - We all know about this season. 7-2-1 with wins over #2 Purdue, a dubious tie vs. #2 UCLA, and a win over OJ and the #1 Trojans. Finished 8th in the country. The high point of Andros' coaching tenure, as OSU would descend into the 28 year losing streak a few seasons later. Andros' last year was a 1-10 1975 season.
Craig Fertig (1978) - Year three would also prove to be the high point for Mr. Fertig. Following consecutive 2 win seasons, Fertig "improved" to 3-7-1 in 1978, before going 1-10 and getting his walking papers in 1979.
Joe Avezzano (1982) - Ugh. Went 1-9-1 in year 3. Amazingly, this was the second straight year of improvement, as he went 0-11 and 1-10 respectively in his first two years. He would improve again in year four, finishing 2-8-1. Unfortunately for him, people did not "respect the process," and he was canned after year five when he "regressed" to 2-9.
Dave Kragthorpe (1987) - The Air Express was a little behind schedule in 1987, as Oregon State was not able to improve upon the 3-8 record of Kragthorpe's first two seasons. The Beavs finished 2-9. Year four (1988) brought the first win over Oregon in 13 seasons, and our first 4 win season since 1971. There were four more wins in 1989, before the Air Express crashed into Marys Peak, finishing 1-10 in 1990. There were no survivors.
Jerry Pettibone (1993) - Pettibone climbed back to the 4 win total in year three after consecutive 1 win seasons in his first two seasons. Like Kragthorpe's team, Jerry's Kids repeated the four win effort in year four (1994), before bottoming out in year five with a solitary win. Unlike Kragthorpe, Pettibone was given a few more seasons, producing 2 wins in '95 and 3 in '96, before being replaced by coach Riley in 1997 (my freshman year at OSU).
Dennis Erickson (2001) - Hoo boy. Fresh off an 11-1, Joey 5 Pickin', Fiesta Bowl winnin' season, Erickson was given a preseason #1 ranking going into year 3, and produced 5 wins and missed a bowl for the only time in his four year run as head coach of the Beavs. Rebounded in year four, going 8-5 and getting waxed in the Insight.com bowl by Pittsburgh (a game I remember more for the Papa Murphy's Hawaiian pizza that gave me food poisoning than the result. I spent all night with a waste basket in front of me and toilet behind.)
Mike Riley (2005) - Riley also produced a five win season after two consecutive bowl appearances in his third season. However, year four would begin the longest continuous stretch of winning seasons since Nixon was in office, as the Beavs would win 36 games in a four year stretch for the first time in school history. This was followed by two consecutive losing seasons before Riley again righted the ship cranking out two more bowl appearances in years 10 and 11 of Riley II. Of course, year 12 was the final ride of Sheriff Riley, which brings us up to date with the new sheriff, who has promised to make the Beavers great again by changing the culture created by the winningest (and, in fairness, losingest) coach in school history.
Gary Andersen (2017) - It seems fairly possible that he could produce five wins in year three, just as Riley and Erickson did before him. Unlike them though, that would be an improvement over his first two seasons.
