5 0 0 ▁less ▁than ▁his ▁prede cess or ▁Don ▁Rob b ins . ▁One ▁of ▁Tro x el ' s ▁notable ▁h ires ▁was ▁his ▁first ▁off ensive ▁coordin ator , ▁a ▁ 2 7 - year - old ▁Dennis ▁Er ick son , ▁who ▁was ▁h ired ▁away ▁from ▁Mont ana ▁State ▁and ▁stayed ▁for ▁two ▁seasons . ▁His ▁replacement ▁was ▁Jack ▁El way , ▁recently ▁at ▁W SU , ▁but ▁El way ▁left ▁in ▁March ▁after ▁just ▁five ▁weeks ▁on ▁staff ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁Division ▁II ▁head ▁coach ▁in ▁southern ▁California ▁at ▁Cal ▁State ▁North ridge . ▁Despite ▁this ▁turn over ▁at ▁O C ▁before ▁Tro x el ' s ▁third ▁season ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁the ▁V and als ▁went ▁ 7 – 4 ▁( 5 – 1 ▁in ▁the ▁Big ▁Sky ), ▁with ▁center ▁John ▁Y ar no ▁selected ▁as ▁a ▁Division ▁I ▁first - team ▁AP ▁All - American . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁V and als ' ▁second ▁best ▁football ▁record ▁in ▁history , ▁sur pass ed ▁only ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁team ▁at ▁ 8 – 3 . ▁With ▁key ▁players ▁lost ▁to ▁gradu ation ▁and ▁bes et ▁by ▁inj uries , ▁Id aho ▁fell ▁to ▁ 3 – 8 ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁and ▁five ▁weeks ▁later , ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 0 , ▁Tro x el ▁was ▁asked ▁to ▁res ign ▁by ▁new ▁UI ▁president ▁Richard ▁Gib b . ▁The ▁invol unt