The Barometer Online

Issue date: 4/13/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Annie Miles Graduate assistant coaches Tim Euhus and Ryan Gunderson work with the Oregon State offense in a spring practice on April 10. Euhus was a first-team All-Pac-10 tight end in 2003 before playing four seasons in the NFL. Gunderson was backup quarterback at Oregon State and started in the 2005 Civil War when starter Matt Moore was lost to injury.

The Oregon State Beaver football coaching staff has always had a strong reputation for being a well-respected and close-knit staff.

The reputation starts at the top with head coach Mike Riley, but carries on all the way down through the team's graduate assistants, and in 2009 former Beaver players Daniel Drayton, Ryan Gunderson and Tim Euhus look to continue that tradition.

"They're outstanding young men. The thing I love is I coached them all, they played for us, they're Beavers and they want to be coaches," Riley said. "They're in our school, in our program, continuing to get an education and now learning to be a coach."

While all three young men are former players for Mike Riley, all three took different routes to that graduate assistant spot.

Tim Euhus was a first-team All-Pac-10 tight end for the Beavers in 2003 and played four years in the NFL before returning to the Beavers last spring to begin his coaching career.

"Coming back here and passing on knowledge to these guys is a real learning experience," Euhus said. "It's a lot of fun; I take a lot of pride in it."

The former star tight end for the Beavers is beginning his second season back with the team, and although he's without a doubt improving the Beaver corps of tight ends, he seems to be making some personal improvements as well since making the transition from player to coach.

"I had no clue what I was doing and Coach Riley just let me go and learn," Euhus said. "I've just been paying attention to everyone and see how they coach guys so I feel like this spring is so much smoother than last spring."

While Euhus had a brief hiatus from Beaver football before returning as a grad assistant, Coach Riley's other two former-players-turned-coaches never left the program and are continuing to make an impact for the Beavers off the playing field.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools