 In February 2003, Dennis Erickson resigned to become the new coach for the San Francisco 49ers.Corvallis native and former OSU coach Mike Riley, who had been fired as coach of the San Diego Chargers at the end of the 2001–2002 season, was hired to replace him.The 2003 season started strong, with a 40–7 win over I-AA Sacramento State, but was followed by a 16–14 loss at Fresno State.