Idaho names Holt football coach

MOSCOW, Idaho, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The University of Idaho made official Monday that Nick Holt would become the Vandals' new football coach.

After Southern California's 52-28 victory over Oregon State on Saturday, Pete Carroll, the coach of top-ranked Trojans, said that Holt, his linebackers coach, would be leaving to take the Idaho job.

Holt was an assistant with the Vandals from 1990-97, serving as defensive line coach the first four seasons and as defensive coordinator the last four. He spent 1998-2000 as an assistant at Louisville and the last three campaigns at USC.

"This is a great opportunity," Holt said. "This is what I've been working for for 17 years. You get in this profession and you say, 'Someday I'm going to run my own program and be my own guy."

Tom Cable was fired as Vandals coach Nov. 22 after going 11-35 over the past four seasons, including 3-9 this year.