From the Montana Standard:
By Joe Kusek - 11/06/2008
Two weeks ago, Joe Glenn was gone.
His time at the University of Wyoming was going to come to a close.
After six years, it was time for a change.
The UW football team had been outscored a staggering 145-10 in its first four Mountain West Conference games, including back-to-back shutouts.
During the Cowboys' bye week, Glenn circled the wagons, keeping the assistant coaches on campus to work on the current football team instead of going out to recruit future UW players.
TCU promptly whacked the Cowboys 54-7 in the next game.
The questions started to gain volume.
Did UW have enough money to buy out the rest of the Glenn's contract?
Who would be next?
The trouble brought up the discussion that if Bobby Hauck left the University of Montana — which he has been desperately trying to do the last couple of years — would the Grizzly administration welcome back Glenn, the only coach to lead UM to a national championship in the new millennium?
And just when the questions and UW fan unrest reached a crescendo, the football scheduling gods looked down and smiled upon the keyboard-playing coach.
The first glimmer of hope was last Saturday's 35-10 win over hapless San Diego State. And the Cowboys close out with games against Tennessee, UNLV and Colorado State. On paper, all three are winnable.
If UW was ever going to beat an SEC team on the road, the time is this Saturday. The Vols are angry and in disarray after Monday's announcement that long-team head coach Phillip Fulmer will not return next season.
The Cowboys have done it before. UW defeated Ole Miss 24-14, at Oxford, Miss., in 2005.
UNLV, after a good start, is mired in a five-game losing streak, while a mediocre CSU has lost three of its last four.
Three victories would allow UW to finish the season 6-6 and reverse a trend that had been plaguing Glenn's teams in recent years.
Last year, the Cowboys got off to a 4-1 start only to lose its last four and six of the final seven. In 2006, UW went through a four-game losing streak and the 4-1 start in 2005 crumbled under the weight of six straight losses to close the season.
Granted, Tennessee is a shell of its former self and UNLV and CSU have been recent bottom-feeders for the MWC.
Who cares?
Glenn and UW need victories in any way, shape or form.
During his first season, as the Cowboys went 4-8 Glenn kept reminding everybody, "We know how to win," pointing to the success his coaching staff had at Northern Colorado and Montana.
Now is the time to prove it.
This is the perfect opportunity to wash out the past few years of frustration. No longer can Glenn ride the good feelings generated from the Las Vegas Bowl win over UCLA in 2004. That game is a distant memory.
Wyoming has the chance to win four straight to finish 2008, allowing Glenn to tickle a happier tune on the ivories.
However, the big question, the elephant in the coaching office remains: will it be enough to save Glenn's job?
He doesn't need to pack just yet.
By Joe Kusek - 11/06/2008
Two weeks ago, Joe Glenn was gone.
His time at the University of Wyoming was going to come to a close.
After six years, it was time for a change.
The UW football team had been outscored a staggering 145-10 in its first four Mountain West Conference games, including back-to-back shutouts.
During the Cowboys' bye week, Glenn circled the wagons, keeping the assistant coaches on campus to work on the current football team instead of going out to recruit future UW players.
TCU promptly whacked the Cowboys 54-7 in the next game.
The questions started to gain volume.
Did UW have enough money to buy out the rest of the Glenn's contract?
Who would be next?
The trouble brought up the discussion that if Bobby Hauck left the University of Montana — which he has been desperately trying to do the last couple of years — would the Grizzly administration welcome back Glenn, the only coach to lead UM to a national championship in the new millennium?
And just when the questions and UW fan unrest reached a crescendo, the football scheduling gods looked down and smiled upon the keyboard-playing coach.
The first glimmer of hope was last Saturday's 35-10 win over hapless San Diego State. And the Cowboys close out with games against Tennessee, UNLV and Colorado State. On paper, all three are winnable.
If UW was ever going to beat an SEC team on the road, the time is this Saturday. The Vols are angry and in disarray after Monday's announcement that long-team head coach Phillip Fulmer will not return next season.
The Cowboys have done it before. UW defeated Ole Miss 24-14, at Oxford, Miss., in 2005.
UNLV, after a good start, is mired in a five-game losing streak, while a mediocre CSU has lost three of its last four.
Three victories would allow UW to finish the season 6-6 and reverse a trend that had been plaguing Glenn's teams in recent years.
Last year, the Cowboys got off to a 4-1 start only to lose its last four and six of the final seven. In 2006, UW went through a four-game losing streak and the 4-1 start in 2005 crumbled under the weight of six straight losses to close the season.
Granted, Tennessee is a shell of its former self and UNLV and CSU have been recent bottom-feeders for the MWC.
Who cares?
Glenn and UW need victories in any way, shape or form.
During his first season, as the Cowboys went 4-8 Glenn kept reminding everybody, "We know how to win," pointing to the success his coaching staff had at Northern Colorado and Montana.
Now is the time to prove it.
This is the perfect opportunity to wash out the past few years of frustration. No longer can Glenn ride the good feelings generated from the Las Vegas Bowl win over UCLA in 2004. That game is a distant memory.
Wyoming has the chance to win four straight to finish 2008, allowing Glenn to tickle a happier tune on the ivories.
However, the big question, the elephant in the coaching office remains: will it be enough to save Glenn's job?
He doesn't need to pack just yet.
