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Daniken back, will coach at SOU: Former Raider injured in second game with Omaha By JOE ZAVALA Ashland Daily Tidings Nick the quick is back, bum thumb and all. Former Southern Oregon University safety Nick Daniken suffered a season-ending thumb injury June 20 in his second game with the Omaha Beef of the National Indoor Football League and is back in the valley waiting for another offer. Though anticipating a return to pro football, Daniken will spend the next few months aiding the Raiders' drive to a possible third straight NAIA national playoff appearance as an assistant coach. Daniken, who graduated from SOU in June with a bachelor's degree in business, had nine solo tackles, 10 assists and a fumble recovery in about six quarters of work for Omaha. With the former Raider in the lineup, the Beef lost 37-34 to the Sioux City Bandits on June 14, and beat the Wyoming Cavalry 63-39 the following week. Daniken's short, but impressive stint came to an abrupt end in the second quarter against Wyoming. "I ended up shattering my thumb and getting about three pins put in it, and now I'm back home healing up," said Daniken, a two-time All-American. Daniken isn't sure if the Beef, which ended up losing in the NIFL semifinals, will call him back for the 2004 season, but he wants another crack at football. "I don't know," he said, "they haven't made contact with me yet. I'll try to pursue interest from other teams." Daniken's duties at Southern Oregon will likely include coaching defensive backs and punt returners - two roles he filled spectacularly over four years at SOU. Returning kicks for the Raiders, Daniken broke northwest small college career kickoff return records for average return (29.1 yards) and touchdown returns (5). The Central Point native also finished second on the 2002 team in tackles (69) and left SOU as the school-record holder in every major punt return category. Daniken and eighth-year SOU head coach Jeff Olson will meet today to go over the details of Daniken's coaching responsibilities. Olson said the two talked about the possibility of reuniting before Omaha came calling, and got back in touch after Daniken's injury. "Get him a different number and let's go," joked Olson, in a phone interview this morning. Olson believes his former star defensive back can make the Raiders better, "plus, he's got a willingness to learn," Olson added. "He's got an enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, and he's going to bring that to the table for the guys who are returning and for the new guys in the program. "I think Nick definitely would be great in this line of work. He definitely has a lot of enthusiasm for the game. He's a great addition for us, and he brings a lot to the table." Despite the brevity of his stay, Daniken says he enjoyed his NIFL experience. The 24-team indoor football league, which recently completed its third season, plays on a shortened field - 50 yards long by 28 yards wide - that promotes quick scores and wide-open offense. "It went pretty well," Daniken said. "It was fun. It was a different game, but I thought I adapted pretty well. It's a lot of big guys jammed into a small area. It's a fast game - a really fast game - but it's a fun game, too." The Southern Oregon University football team opens its 2003 campaign with a game against Linfield, Sept. 20 at Raider Stadium. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -