My Question: Start our own fan initiative?

[CowboyNV]

Until Ron McBride arrived in Utah in 1990, Utah had not gone to a bowl game for 28 years. He is the one who got the ball rolling. Meyer was only there for 2003-2004. Wittingham since 2005. It was McBride who turned that thing around.

 

[WyoBrandX]

I can only speak for myself, Doc. You should have asked me this two seasons ago. I've grown so tired and beat down by our constant ineptitude at the revenue sports I find myself more and more apathetic. I know it's the exact opposite of how I should be. I just feel like nothing is ever going to change here. There are far too many people (many of which are regulars on this board) who are fine with 6-6 seasons and going to the Poulan Weedeater Bowl every four years.

Well then those people need to have their collective senses awakened to the idea that .500 or sub-500 football should never be the goal.

Are you telling me that through the years the fan base has become 'conditioned' to accept whatever they are served with no questions asked?

Shame on such people if this is the case...

Sadly, yes. I see it on here all the time. "We can't recruit to Laramie," "We're not going to go to BCS Bowls every year," I could literally spend an hour typing all the excuses people make for Burman, DC and the program in general. Boy I'm with you in wanting to shake things up and not accept mediocrity. I'd really like to go back in time to the 90s when we had a team I could be proud of.

In DC's offense, that is something I've never heard him say. Previous coaches have, but I've heard him say Laramie is as tough as any other place in the nation to recruit to.

 

[DocHolliday]

I'm out...I tried to see if something newfangled might be interesting for some who seem to complain and yelp endlessly, but when its time to pick up your weapons and go on the march to battle, it seems many have no stomach for it.

Therefore, I have no stomach for you.

Yes,I know how a program is built and I try to stray away from hyperbole, but the system is broke, its been broke for years, and HUGE CHANGE in thinking is what's needed.

So allow me to join the chorus with the alleged majority here.

Go POKES!

Get to 6 wins and a bowl nobody cares about.

Yee-Haw!

Over and out...

 

[WyoBrandX]

I was around Laramie in the 60's when Wyoming was relevant on a national stage. Teams from all over the country feared playing Wyoming. This was during the time when ASU and Arizona were in the conference as well.

Here is a list of the football Conference Champion stats from 1960 on:

1960 Mountain States Conference Co-Champions
1961 Mountain States Conference Co-Champions
1966 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1967 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1968 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1976 Western Athletic Conference Co-Champions
1987 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1988 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1993 Western Athletic Conference Co-Champions
1996 WAC - Pacific Division Champions

What you don't see on this list is any championship since 1993, by my math 20 years (1996 was the year Wyoming lost to BYU in Vegas for the outright championship).

Today's fans (anybody who started rooting for the Pokes after 1996) have never known anything but mediocrity. They buy into the excuses that you can't recruit kids because Laramie isn't flashy enough, our facilities aren't good enough, excuse after excuse after excuse. If you get the right person, you can start to change the mindset at Wyoming. It starts at the top (the President of the University). The speed of the leader is indeed the speed of the team. Wyoming hasn't had a leader for a long time. Until they figure that out, average to below average is all they are ever going to get.

The young guys on here are always laughing at us old guys (blue hairs) because we always bring up the past. Well, we used to be pretty damned good. Not so much any more.

I had a shocking thought last night. I was talking to someone who was 19 years old. They were born in 1994. They haven't seen a conference championship in football in their lifetime.

 

[DocHolliday]

I didn't mean to be too harsh with my last missive...it's just that it's not within my DNA to think and act as some would prefer here.

I LOVE WYOMING & the POKES, I just cannot subscribe to the theories espoused by some on this board.

Go POKES!

 

[WyoBrandX]

Maybe there is something to the idea I'm about to express - maybe not, you guys and gals will be able to answer that question better than myself.

As passionate and supportive WYOMING fans who are dismayed by the current situation of our football program, with the direction of the Athletic Department, the low level expectations, the overall feeling of complacency, and the do just enough to get by losing mentality...I ask you, is it time -- are there people interested in organizing an official body of WYOMING fans, and taking our grievances up a few notches to turn up the heat ourselves?

I'm talking about an organized platform of WYOMING fans, with an official platform, with concerns that may be aired on a larger assembly, officially presented to the school administration, to the new President, distributed to media outlets...and if possible, an official rally at The War before a game before the end of this current season.

I've often wondered about doing something like this. I don't know if the support is there or not. One would think setting up a website, taking donations, building a charter, and trying to get the university to understand mediocrity isn't the answer.

I'm sure it wouldn't take much to get some video interviews with some sucessful coaches of the past, tiller, roach, and even some feedback from coaches that weren't sucessful (glenn for example).

We can elect leaders, an organized structure...a body and a movement of people concerned with the state of affairs and who are not willing to accept any longer the way things have been done for far too long.

Is it time to make some noise?

Is it time to ruffle some feathers?

Is it time to let ourselves become the piston in the engine that brings some people out of their comfort zones in Laramie?

How much noise are people going to make? What are the stated goals? Finding some basic goals could be challenging.
* Losing season's are unacceptable
* Failing to plan is planning to fail - time to quick the small time thinking
* Just because you don't have the resources to do something doesn't mean the resources to do that aren't there. Your paid to find solutions, not to toss out excuses.

I raise this issue and I ask these questions all in the name of a fan base that is fed up, a fan base that loves their POKES, and a fan base that wants and DESERVES more.

Do we want to, and can we, become an agent of change ourselves in Laramie?

You all tell me...with my platform within the media I enthusiastically await your responses.

 

[seattlecowboy]

When I keep hearing excuses from people about not being able to do certain things than I keep getting one example that pops into my head.

Gary Anderson and Utah St.

He took over a Utah St. team that in 2008 went 3-9. In 2007 they went 2-10. 2006 they went 1-11.
They had not had a winning year in 12 years. They went 6-6 in 1997 and 6-5 in 1996.

His first two years he started building the program back up an in his third season they have a winning record again and by his 4th year they are conference champions and playing on the road against sec teams and big ten teams and competing with them and almost winning those games.

2009
finished 4-8

2010
Finished 4-8
Played at #7 Oklahoma and lost 31-24.

2011
Finished 7-5
Lost at #23 Auburn 42-38 and should have won this game.
Beat Wyoming 61-19
Never were blown out the whole year. Lost 5 games by a combined 24 points with the biggest defeat by only 10 points.
Played in a bowl game against Ohio and lost 24-23


2012
Finished 11-2 and won a bowl game
Two losses were to rival BYU 6-3 and At Wisconsin 16-14 because they missed a last minute field goal.
Beat Utah 27-20
Beat CSU 31-19
Beat Texas St. 38-7
Beat #20 Louisiana Tech 48-41
Bowl game beat Toledo - 41-15

So it took him 4 years to turn the program from losing on a yearly basis to winning a conference championship and he kicked Wyoming's butt along the way. He did this in a town with 48,000 people and an enrollment of 23,000. Not a huge difference from Wyoming. You also have Utah and BYU in the same state.

So are all of you excuse makers going to sit here and tell me that Utah St. has more advantages than Wyoming does? I'm sorry but if Utah St. can change their program around then Wyoming can do it also. They are not on a different level than us.
Although they will probably kick our butts again this year.

There are only two options in life. You are either growing or your dying. You are either a doer or an excuse maker. So which is Wyoming going to be?
If Wyoming wanted to change the culture of the program and turn this thing around they can. We don't need to be Alabama but we should be able to compete on a yearly basis with the Utah St.'s and CSU's and San Jose St.'s of the world.

I'll end my rant but I get sick of hearing things have changed. Yeah they have changed and so Wyoming must change and adapt into the current way of college football enough to compete with our conference mates. If the coaches or the administration or whoever is in charge of this mess isn't going to do it then maybe we can do something about it. I'm not exactly sure what that is as of yet but people need to quit making excuses and start figuring out the solutions.

I'll finish by saying Go Pokes! :thumb:

 

[DocHolliday]

Maybe there is something to the idea I'm about to express - maybe not, you guys and gals will be able to answer that question better than myself.

As passionate and supportive WYOMING fans who are dismayed by the current situation of our football program, with the direction of the Athletic Department, the low level expectations, the overall feeling of complacency, and the do just enough to get by losing mentality...I ask you, is it time -- are there people interested in organizing an official body of WYOMING fans, and taking our grievances up a few notches to turn up the heat ourselves?

I'm talking about an organized platform of WYOMING fans, with an official platform, with concerns that may be aired on a larger assembly, officially presented to the school administration, to the new President, distributed to media outlets...and if possible, an official rally at The War before a game before the end of this current season.

I've often wondered about doing something like this. I don't know if the support is there or not. One would think setting up a website, taking donations, building a charter, and trying to get the university to understand mediocrity isn't the answer.

I'm sure it wouldn't take much to get some video interviews with some sucessful coaches of the past, tiller, roach, and even some feedback from coaches that weren't sucessful (glenn for example).

We can elect leaders, an organized structure...a body and a movement of people concerned with the state of affairs and who are not willing to accept any longer the way things have been done for far too long.

Is it time to make some noise?

Is it time to ruffle some feathers?

Is it time to let ourselves become the piston in the engine that brings some people out of their comfort zones in Laramie?

How much noise are people going to make? What are the stated goals? Finding some basic goals could be challenging.
* Losing season's are unacceptable
* Failing to plan is planning to fail - time to quick the small time thinking
* Just because you don't have the resources to do something doesn't mean the resources to do that aren't there. Your paid to find solutions, not to toss out excuses.

I raise this issue and I ask these questions all in the name of a fan base that is fed up, a fan base that loves their POKES, and a fan base that wants and DESERVES more.

Do we want to, and can we, become an agent of change ourselves in Laramie?

You all tell me...with my platform within the media I enthusiastically await your responses.

Good post, WBX...

 

[kansasCowboy]

When I keep hearing excuses from people about not being able to do certain things than I keep getting one example that pops into my head.

Gary Anderson and Utah St.

He took over a Utah St. team that in 2008 went 3-9. In 2007 they went 2-10. 2006 they went 1-11.
They had not had a winning year in 12 years. They went 6-6 in 1997 and 6-5 in 1996.

His first two years he started building the program back up an in his third season they have a winning record again and by his 4th year they are conference champions and playing on the road against sec teams and big ten teams and competing with them and almost winning those games.

2009
finished 4-8

2010
Finished 4-8
Played at #7 Oklahoma and lost 31-24.

2011
Finished 7-5
Lost at #23 Auburn 42-38 and should have won this game.
Beat Wyoming 61-19
Never were blown out the whole year. Lost 5 games by a combined 24 points with the biggest defeat by only 10 points.
Played in a bowl game against Ohio and lost 24-23


2012
Finished 11-2 and won a bowl game
Two losses were to rival BYU 6-3 and At Wisconsin 16-14 because they missed a last minute field goal.
Beat Utah 27-20
Beat CSU 31-19
Beat Texas St. 38-7
Beat #20 Louisiana Tech 48-41
Bowl game beat Toledo - 41-15

So it took him 4 years to turn the program from losing on a yearly basis to winning a conference championship and he kicked Wyoming's butt along the way. He did this in a town with 48,000 people and an enrollment of 23,000. Not a huge difference from Wyoming. You also have Utah and BYU in the same state.

So are all of you excuse makers going to sit here and tell me that Utah St. has more advantages than Wyoming does? I'm sorry but if Utah St. can change their program around then Wyoming can do it also. They are not on a different level than us.
Although they will probably kick our butts again this year.

There are only two options in life. You are either growing or your dying. You are either a doer or an excuse maker. So which is Wyoming going to be?
If Wyoming wanted to change the culture of the program and turn this thing around they can. We don't need to be Alabama but we should be able to compete on a yearly basis with the Utah St.'s and CSU's and San Jose St.'s of the world.

I'll end my rant but I get sick of hearing things have changed. Yeah they have changed and so Wyoming must change and adapt into the current way of college football enough to compete with our conference mates. If the coaches or the administration or whoever is in charge of this mess isn't going to do it then maybe we can do something about it. I'm not exactly sure what that is as of yet but people need to quit making excuses and start figuring out the solutions.

I'll finish by saying Go Pokes! :thumb:

Wait a minute! They're 2012, 11-2 record was due to a weak schedule, because according to most Louis Tech, Texas St, Csu, Toledo and the rest of the WAC schedule are all cupcakes. I find it funny that these same teams are meaningful wins when Utah St beats them but even when WYO wins some of these games they were all just mere cupcakes.

 

[seattlecowboy]

When I keep hearing excuses from people about not being able to do certain things than I keep getting one example that pops into my head.

Gary Anderson and Utah St.

He took over a Utah St. team that in 2008 went 3-9. In 2007 they went 2-10. 2006 they went 1-11.
They had not had a winning year in 12 years. They went 6-6 in 1997 and 6-5 in 1996.

His first two years he started building the program back up an in his third season they have a winning record again and by his 4th year they are conference champions and playing on the road against sec teams and big ten teams and competing with them and almost winning those games.

2009
finished 4-8

2010
Finished 4-8
Played at #7 Oklahoma and lost 31-24.

2011
Finished 7-5
Lost at #23 Auburn 42-38 and should have won this game.
Beat Wyoming 61-19
Never were blown out the whole year. Lost 5 games by a combined 24 points with the biggest defeat by only 10 points.
Played in a bowl game against Ohio and lost 24-23


2012
Finished 11-2 and won a bowl game
Two losses were to rival BYU 6-3 and At Wisconsin 16-14 because they missed a last minute field goal.
Beat Utah 27-20
Beat CSU 31-19
Beat Texas St. 38-7
Beat #20 Louisiana Tech 48-41
Bowl game beat Toledo - 41-15

So it took him 4 years to turn the program from losing on a yearly basis to winning a conference championship and he kicked Wyoming's butt along the way. He did this in a town with 48,000 people and an enrollment of 23,000. Not a huge difference from Wyoming. You also have Utah and BYU in the same state.

So are all of you excuse makers going to sit here and tell me that Utah St. has more advantages than Wyoming does? I'm sorry but if Utah St. can change their program around then Wyoming can do it also. They are not on a different level than us.
Although they will probably kick our butts again this year.

There are only two options in life. You are either growing or your dying. You are either a doer or an excuse maker. So which is Wyoming going to be?
If Wyoming wanted to change the culture of the program and turn this thing around they can. We don't need to be Alabama but we should be able to compete on a yearly basis with the Utah St.'s and CSU's and San Jose St.'s of the world.

I'll end my rant but I get sick of hearing things have changed. Yeah they have changed and so Wyoming must change and adapt into the current way of college football enough to compete with our conference mates. If the coaches or the administration or whoever is in charge of this mess isn't going to do it then maybe we can do something about it. I'm not exactly sure what that is as of yet but people need to quit making excuses and start figuring out the solutions.

I'll finish by saying Go Pokes! :thumb:

Wait a minute! They're 2012, 11-2 record was due to a weak schedule, because according to most Louis Tech, Texas St, Csu, Toledo and the rest of the WAC schedule are all cupcakes. I find it funny that these same teams are meaningful wins when Utah St beats them but even when WYO wins some of these games they were all just mere cupcakes.

You missed the point. Whether it is a weak schedule or not the fact is that Utah St. beat these teams badly in year 4 while Wyoming in year 5 of DC's tenure is getting his butt beat. Gary Anderson was able to turn the program around in 4 years while Wyoming's program is going backwards in year 4 and year 5. It isn't because Wyoming can't compete with Utah St. either.
It is because whoever is running the program doesn't seem to know what they are doing. Gary Anderson wasn't making over 1 million dollars a year at Utah St. either. He got a contract extension in October of 2012 that could pay him at the most with incentives $765,00. Also Utah St.'s athletic budget in 2011 was just over 19 million while Wyoming's budget in 2011 was $26 million.
So you can't give the excuse that Utah St. had more money to work with either.

So I don't want to hear the excuses. What I would like to see is some type of results.

 

[Cuttslam]

When I keep hearing excuses from people about not being able to do certain things than I keep getting one example that pops into my head.

Gary Anderson and Utah St.

He took over a Utah St. team that in 2008 went 3-9. In 2007 they went 2-10. 2006 they went 1-11.
They had not had a winning year in 12 years. They went 6-6 in 1997 and 6-5 in 1996.

His first two years he started building the program back up an in his third season they have a winning record again and by his 4th year they are conference champions and playing on the road against sec teams and big ten teams and competing with them and almost winning those games.

2009
finished 4-8

2010
Finished 4-8
Played at #7 Oklahoma and lost 31-24.

2011
Finished 7-5
Lost at #23 Auburn 42-38 and should have won this game.
Beat Wyoming 61-19
Never were blown out the whole year. Lost 5 games by a combined 24 points with the biggest defeat by only 10 points.
Played in a bowl game against Ohio and lost 24-23


2012
Finished 11-2 and won a bowl game
Two losses were to rival BYU 6-3 and At Wisconsin 16-14 because they missed a last minute field goal.
Beat Utah 27-20
Beat CSU 31-19
Beat Texas St. 38-7
Beat #20 Louisiana Tech 48-41
Bowl game beat Toledo - 41-15

So it took him 4 years to turn the program from losing on a yearly basis to winning a conference championship and he kicked Wyoming's butt along the way. He did this in a town with 48,000 people and an enrollment of 23,000. Not a huge difference from Wyoming. You also have Utah and BYU in the same state.

So are all of you excuse makers going to sit here and tell me that Utah St. has more advantages than Wyoming does? I'm sorry but if Utah St. can change their program around then Wyoming can do it also. They are not on a different level than us.
Although they will probably kick our butts again this year.

There are only two options in life. You are either growing or your dying. You are either a doer or an excuse maker. So which is Wyoming going to be?
If Wyoming wanted to change the culture of the program and turn this thing around they can. We don't need to be Alabama but we should be able to compete on a yearly basis with the Utah St.'s and CSU's and San Jose St.'s of the world.

I'll end my rant but I get sick of hearing things have changed. Yeah they have changed and so Wyoming must change and adapt into the current way of college football enough to compete with our conference mates. If the coaches or the administration or whoever is in charge of this mess isn't going to do it then maybe we can do something about it. I'm not exactly sure what that is as of yet but people need to quit making excuses and start figuring out the solutions.

I'll finish by saying Go Pokes! :thumb:

Wait a minute! They're 2012, 11-2 record was due to a weak schedule, because according to most Louis Tech, Texas St, Csu, Toledo and the rest of the WAC schedule are all cupcakes. I find it funny that these same teams are meaningful wins when Utah St beats them but even when WYO wins some of these games they were all just mere cupcakes.

Didn't we just lose to Texas st, CSU, and Toledo. But we did beat Cal Poly.....ooooops. I meant Northern Colorado.

 

[YankPoke]

Seattle that is one example, in most cases you do not see results that soon like Anderson did. Utah State had everything fall into place very quickly and had some luck on their side. Look at other coaches who are some of the better coaches out there. Frank Beamer took 7 years to build his program, it took Bill McCartney 8 seasons, it also took Bill Snyder 5 seasons. It takes a lot of time before a program is built to be a consistent winner normally, usually there are several up and down years and then a breakout year happens. After that these programs all took off after lots of inconsistent and mediocre seasons and ended up all competing on the national stage. I am not saying that is what DC is doing here, but we honestly can't have an accurate assessment to this point. We have been up and down through his first 4 seasons, as well as being up and down all in this year. I think it is very hard to judge this current season as we have played great football, average football, and horrid football all in one year. I think we all need to reserve judgement until this season is complete and then we can decide what the state of this program is. I think that DC must get to a bowl game or he should be fired, but I think even if he goes 6-6 and gets us to a bowl game then he deserves to get Brett and co. Sr. seasons next year.

 

[WyoAlum1987]

I was around Laramie in the 60's when Wyoming was relevant on a national stage. Teams from all over the country feared playing Wyoming. This was during the time when ASU and Arizona were in the conference as well.

Here is a list of the football Conference Champion stats from 1960 on:

1960 Mountain States Conference Co-Champions
1961 Mountain States Conference Co-Champions
1966 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1967 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1968 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1976 Western Athletic Conference Co-Champions
1987 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1988 Western Athletic Conference Champions
1993 Western Athletic Conference Co-Champions
1996 WAC - Pacific Division Champions

you don't see on this list is any championship since 1993, by my math 20 years (1996 was the year Wyoming lost to BYU in Vegas for the outright championship).

Today's fans (anybody who started rooting for the Pokes after 1996) have never known anything but mediocrity. They buy into the excuses that you can't recruit kids because Laramie isn't flashy enough, our facilities aren't good enough, excuse after excuse after excuse. If you get the right person, you can start to change the mindset at Wyoming. It starts at the top (the President of the University). The speed of the leader is indeed the speed of the team. Wyoming hasn't had a leader for a long time. Until they figure that out, average to below average is all they are ever going to get.

The young guys on here are always laughing at us old guys (blue hairs) because we always bring up the past. Well, we used to be pretty damned good. Not so much any more.

Great post!

 

[PokeOLoco]

Point well taken. I hope so badly DC can be that guy. Let's not forget San Jose State. A couple years ago as a program they were completely left for dead. They were 10-2 also last year, top 25, and they lost the coach but still have one of the best recruiting classes so far this year. And unlike USU they do it with almost no fan support.

 

[seattlecowboy]

Seattle that is one example, in most cases you do not see results that soon like Anderson did. Utah State had everything fall into place very quickly and had some luck on their side. Look at other coaches who are some of the better coaches out there. Frank Beamer took 7 years to build his program, it took Bill McCartney 8 seasons, it also took Bill Snyder 5 seasons. It takes a lot of time before a program is built to be a consistent winner normally, usually there are several up and down years and then a breakout year happens. After that these programs all took off after lots of inconsistent and mediocre seasons and ended up all competing on the national stage. I am not saying that is what DC is doing here, but we honestly can't have an accurate assessment to this point. We have been up and down through his first 4 seasons, as well as being up and down all in this year. I think it is very hard to judge this current season as we have played great football, average football, and horrid football all in one year. I think we all need to reserve judgement until this season is complete and then we can decide what the state of this program is. I think that DC must get to a bowl game or he should be fired, but I think even if he goes 6-6 and gets us to a bowl game then he deserves to get Brett and co. Sr. seasons next year.

You're right it is one example. You miss my point though. My point is that if Utah St. can turn their program around so can Wyoming.
I am well aware of the college landscape and I am well aware of what Bill McCartney did at Colorado and it didn't take him 8 years to get a winning record at Colorado. He had a winning record by year 4 and went to a bowl game and in year 5 was .500 but finished 6-1 in conference and every year after that he had a winning record. I guess Wyoming could finish with a .500 record this year and still finish 6-1 in conference but I am just not seeing it. Also in year 5 Bill McCartneys Colorado team didn't get blown out at home by anyone. In fact they beat a #3 ranked Nebraska team. They never lost to a team like Texas St. They showed progress. He had a winning record every year after that.

Bill Snyder in year 5 went 9-2-1 and beat Wyoming in the copper bowl. He beat #13 ranked OKlahoma, #24 ranked Missouri , #20 ranked Oklahoma St. and tied #16 ranked Colorado. I don't really see a similarity to year 5 for Bill Snyder and year 5 for DC here at Wyoming.

I am also well aware of how long it took Frank Beamer to turn his program around. Frank Beamer is the exception to the rule. Nowadays no one would wait 7 years.
Frank Beamer had a winning record his 3rd and 4th year though that probably saved him and gave him the extra couple of years to get to year 7.

All I am saying is that something needs to change and if Utah St. can have a winning program then Wyoming can have one also. I'm not saying to even fire the coach as of yet but something needs to change and the excuses need to stop.

 

[YankPoke]

Seattle that is one example, in most cases you do not see results that soon like Anderson did. Utah State had everything fall into place very quickly and had some luck on their side. Look at other coaches who are some of the better coaches out there. Frank Beamer took 7 years to build his program, it took Bill McCartney 8 seasons, it also took Bill Snyder 5 seasons. It takes a lot of time before a program is built to be a consistent winner normally, usually there are several up and down years and then a breakout year happens. After that these programs all took off after lots of inconsistent and mediocre seasons and ended up all competing on the national stage. I am not saying that is what DC is doing here, but we honestly can't have an accurate assessment to this point. We have been up and down through his first 4 seasons, as well as being up and down all in this year. I think it is very hard to judge this current season as we have played great football, average football, and horrid football all in one year. I think we all need to reserve judgement until this season is complete and then we can decide what the state of this program is. I think that DC must get to a bowl game or he should be fired, but I think even if he goes 6-6 and gets us to a bowl game then he deserves to get Brett and co. Sr. seasons next year.

You're right it is one example. You miss my point though. My point is that if Utah St. can turn their program around so can Wyoming.
I am well aware of the college landscape and I am well aware of what Bill McCartney did at Colorado and it didn't take him 8 years to get a winning record at Colorado. He had a winning record by year 4 and went to a bowl game and in year 5 was .500 but finished 6-1 in conference and every year after that he had a winning record. I guess Wyoming could finish with a .500 record this year and still finish 6-1 in conference but I am just not seeing it. Also in year 5 Bill McCartneys Colorado team didn't get blown out at home by anyone. In fact they beat a #3 ranked Nebraska team. They never lost to a team like Texas St. They showed progress. He had a winning record every year after that.

Bill Snyder in year 5 went 9-2-1 and beat Wyoming in the copper bowl. He beat #13 ranked OKlahoma, #24 ranked Missouri , #20 ranked Oklahoma St. and tied #16 ranked Colorado. I don't really see a similarity to year 5 for Bill Snyder and year 5 for DC here at Wyoming.

I am also well aware of how long it took Frank Beamer to turn his program around. Frank Beamer is the exception to the rule. Nowadays no one would wait 7 years.
Frank Beamer had a winning record his 3rd and 4th year though that probably saved him and gave him the extra couple of years to get to year 7.

All I am saying is that something needs to change and if Utah St. can have a winning program then Wyoming can have one also. I'm not saying to even fire the coach as of yet but something needs to change and the excuses need to stop.

Fair enough

 

[PokeOLoco]

One thing I will say about DC, and for the ten thousandth time I want him to be that guy, is look at Pinkel his mentor. Pinkel had one of the best QBs in school history in Brad Smith, but they weren't that competitive and were not a complete time; everyone thought he had wasted one of the best players in school history and people wanted him gone. They waited. Then came the Chase Daniel years and they completely destroyed people. Then the move to the SEC. Pinkel can't compete at that level, he has run his course; again they wanted him gone. And how are they doing this year?

Should he get a pass? Hell no, but Burman needs to give him more tools to be successful instead of just saying "it's a big year for Dave." It's a big year for you too then buddy, where's your accountability?

 

[seattlecowboy]

One thing I will say about DC, and for the ten thousandth time I want him to be that guy, is look at Pinkel his mentor. Pinkel had one of the best QBs in school history in Brad Smith, but they weren't that competitive are were not a complete time; everyone thought he had wasted one of the best players in school history and people wanted him gone. They waited. Then came the Chase Daniel years and they completely destroyed people. Then the move to the SEC. Pinkel can't compete at that level, he has run his course; again they wanted him gone. And how are they doing this year?

That's the thing about DC. He comes from a line of good coaches. Pinkel uses the Don James blueprint and that is what DC uses and it has seemed to work pretty well at every where they have been but for some reason hasn't panned out yet at Wyoming. So is it something DC is doing wrong or is it something else?

Who knows? It just seems that we should at least be able to compete on the same level as Utah St and San Jose St. and the rest of our conference mates. Not saying we are going to win the conference every year but you would think that you would be able to get a couple of conference titles every ten years or at least finish in the upper half. Gets frustrating, especially for those of us that were around in the Roach years and even worse for those that were around in the 60's to see those great teams.

Now we don't seem to be able to compete consistently with half of the conference.

 

[YankPoke]

Good points LasCruces, that is why I think we can't judge him until the end of the year and see where we finish. Then I think we should expect a Mountain division title next year.

 

[PokeOLoco]

I just want to be clear on where I am at: we need a wholesale change in mantra in our athletic department, the kind that Doc is suggesting (we can at least agree on something) that is void of excuses and that has a vision for Wyoming athletics as not poor old Wyoming but as WYOMING, a proud university that expects championships and that gives coaches the resources to compete at the TOP of the conference. That being said, DC is a good offensive coach who has recruited two MWC Freshman QBs of the year and the best QB in school history. My glory days at WYO under Glenn were spent hoping to god we can get at least get a first down. I don't want to go back to that and there's not a chance on Earth DC looks at what Tormey is doing and is pleased. Bronco Medenhall has survived some bad coordinators. We cannot fire a coach every four or five years and expect good things. He has grown to like Wyoming quite a bit, and wants to be here. But we have to be proactive,coordinated, and supportive and we need to do some self examination and get this thing right. I'm worried if Burman has what it takes.