After resurrecting a perennial doormat in the Big Sky Conference, Tara Erickson hopes to do much of the same in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Erickson, Portland State’s head coach for the past four years, was announced as the new Oregon women’s head soccer coach Monday afternoon.
The 31-year-old replaces Bill Steffen, who resigned last fall following a 49-107-14 record in nine seasons in Eugene.
Erickson, the Big Sky Coach of the Year in 2002, led the Vikings to a 29-38-10 record in her four years at Portland State.
She was a two-time All-Pac-10 selection during a standout playing career at Washington. After graduating in 1996 with a degree in communications, Erickson assisted the women’s team through 1999 and assisted the men’s program in 2000.
In accepting the Portland State head coaching job, Erickson took over a team that had gone
5-31 the previous two seasons, including an
0-18 campaign in 2000. Following a one-win inaugural season, Erickson led the Vikings to a
13-5-4 record and a spot in the Big Sky Conference tournament finals in 2002.
At Oregon, Erickson inherits a Duck team in similar disarray. The Ducks finished 2004 with a 3-13-3 record, including a 0-7-2 record in
Pac-10 play. Furthermore, the Ducks were the Pac-10’s lowest scoring team, netting only four goals in their nine conference games.
On the bright side, Erickson will have 22 of 25 players returning, including six of the eight top goal scorers for the Ducks. Also, several underclassmen, including five freshmen, saw quality minutes last fall due to a rash of injuries: At times, the Ducks were without six starters.
Erickson’s familiarity with the Northwest should play a key role in recruiting within the
region. The Puyallup, Wash., native assisted the Region IV Olympic Development Program from 2001-03 and has been the head coach since 2004. Currently, the Duck roster consists of only six native Oregonians.
As the Vikings’ head coach, Erickson’s players accumulated
numerous personal accolades. Ten athletes earned All-Big Sky first-team honors during Erickson’s tenure, along with three Newcomer of the Year awards and two Big Sky Golden Boot Awards, the trophy given to the conference’s leading
point scorer.
Erickson beat out 140 applicants for the Duck job, including 40 current Division I and high level Division II head coaches.
Oregon’s new coach will have limited recruiting time before the national signing day Feb. 2. The Ducks, who have non-binding oral commitments from five women, have 3.5 scholarships available.

Beau Eastes is a freelance reporter for the Daily Emerald