Next 2-3 years are HUGE for WYO athletics

[ragtimejoe1]

This is sort of a football-bball topic, but, man the next 2-3 years are monstrous for WYO athletics at least in my mind.

For football, the Bohl experiment has an "all-in" feel to me. If he is to be successful, it will happen in the next 2 years. It has to happen. If Bohl fails, at least in my mind, a lot of hope will be lost. I'm sure we would just insert some other dancing chicken, but the alleged limitations at WYO would probably be moved into the "reality category". Bohl failing would be nothing short of catastrophic for WYO football.

For bball, I don't put a lot of stock in this year and I think Shyatt is a hell of a coach. I think his progress towards building a program was good to excellent and I think it is perfectly normal to have a bit of down year after 4 years. However, the next "up" should be better than before and the next "up" should happen in the next 2-3 years. Like with Bohl, Shyatt failing to put together another strong team in the next 2-3 years would be nothing short of catastrophic for WYO bball.

If success isn't realized in both sports in the coming 2-3 years, then there will need to be a lot of soul searching at WYO, IMO. Maybe I'm the only one, but this sure feels like our "all in" moment--at least for the level of athletics I'm hoping for.

 

[McPeachy]

I thought the same thing in 2008...yes 7 or 8 years ago, when Tom Burman fired Joe Glenn and hired Dickface, and gave his buddy Heath a massive extension for making the CBI.

So I waited...patiently. And I saw flashes on the football field (largely due to Glenn's recruiting not Dickface's), which quickly ceased...and I saw the basketball program tank to a level that it still has not recovered from.

All the while the MWC was a much tougher conference, top to bottom. Oh, and we had just dumped another 40 or 50 million more into athletic facilities.

And UW has basically been in reverse, or neutral, ever since.

 

[Wyokie]

The key to saving UW athletics imho.......FIRE TOM BURMAN and hire a AD who actually gives a damned about UW athletics.

 

[SnowyRange]

If success isn't realized in both sports in the coming 2-3 years, then there will need to be a lot of soul searching at WYO, IMO. Maybe I'm the only one, but this sure feels like our "all in" moment--at least for the level of athletics I'm hoping for.

You're right.

With the amount of energy and money that's been given, if things don't pan out to some (definitions will vary) level of acceptability over the next 3 years, the reassessments are going to be very grim.

 

[LanderPoke]

Amount of money? Everyone acts like Wyoming's been given this vast amount of money for athletics. Look at coaches salaries and overall budget compared to conference peers. We're near the bottom. What the heck do people expect? You get what you pay for!

 

[WestWYOPoke]

Amount of money? Everyone acts like Wyoming's been given this vast amount of money for athletics. Look at coaches salaries and overall budget compared to conference peers. We're near the bottom. What the heck do people expect? You get what you pay for!

I know that, and you know that, but Joe Schmo tax payer doesn't know that. When they see the millions and millions of dollars going in to the athletic department instead of education, infrastructure, civil services, etc. and they aren't getting the results they expect, they aren't aware that we are still a long ways off of the big boys in terms of dollars spent.

I agree, that we need to spend more to be able to compete, but I, like you, have a frim grasp on the current state of affairs in college athletics; the other 80% of Wyoming fans do not.

 

[SnowyRange]

I know that, and you know that, but Joe Schmo tax payer doesn't know that. When they see the millions and millions of dollars going in to the athletic department instead of education, infrastructure, civil services, etc. and they aren't getting the results they expect, they aren't aware that we are still a long ways off of the big boys in terms of dollars spent.

Yup.

First, though, people do grasp that we will never play with the real "big boys" (at least not in football). But they don't study the numbers involved in playing with our neighborhood boys....the Mountain West.

Second, what they do see is great facilities at great expense, coaches who are the highest paid state employees, bad results, and opinions that more money will improve results.

I'm afraid we've lost a generation of fans in this state, maybe two generations. If you polled Wyoming citizens on which they'd rather do -- direct more state money to UW athletics, or keep the price of fishing and hunting licenses low -- I'm afraid the answer would be dispiriting for us sports fans.

 

[J-Rod]

It is an important few years ahead. Bohl was billed as the template for Wyo to succeed. A man after Wyoming's own heart. If he can't succeed here, pessimism will reach an all-time high.

2015 was brutal. Most put the bar at bowl eligibility and instead got a Koenning-like record. 2016 is 5 wins at the minimum...we need to see progress. Brian Hill killing everyone is fun to watch, but that needs to turn into W's. I need to see Wyoming in a bowl game by 2017 to feel like this ship is headed in the right direction.

 

[Adv8RU12]

FIRE TOM BURMAN and hire a AD who actually gives a damned about UW athletics.

He gives a damn. The problem is that he is simply incompetent. He has no idea what to do, so he just pulls stuff out of his ass.

 

[Wyokie]

FIRE TOM BURMAN and hire a AD who actually gives a damned about UW athletics.

He gives a damn. The problem is that he is simply incompetent. He has no idea what to do, so he just pulls stuff out of his ass.

Either way a chimp could do a better job than he has!

 

[WestWYOPoke]

FIRE TOM BURMAN and hire a AD who actually gives a damned about UW athletics.

He gives a damn. The problem is that he is simply incompetent. He has no idea what to do, so he just pulls stuff out of his ass.

Either way a chimp could do a better job than he has!

Dear God no, don't put Joshvanklomp in charge of UW athletics...

 

[Wyokie]

FIRE TOM BURMAN and hire a AD who actually gives a damned about UW athletics.

He gives a damn. The problem is that he is simply incompetent. He has no idea what to do, so he just pulls stuff out of his ass.

Either way a chimp could do a better job than he has!

Dear God no, don't put Joshvanklomp in charge of UW athletics...

I meant this....

:roll:

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I used to think Tom Burman was a piece of corn stuck in the turd that was Wyoming athletics. That was after the Sternberg report came out and "good enough is good enough" became obvious to everyone.

Since then though, I'm not sure. Tom was instrumental in getting creative and working with Mead and some key members of the legislature to secure matching funds for budget items. That might have been the most helpful thing that's happened for the athletics department in 30 years. He was able to get Blaylock and the UW foundation onboard with the the High Altitude Performance Center. That was a big win for Tom.

Since the Sternberg report came out, I think Tom has done an exceptional job in examining and fixing the problems we have with athletics. The results won't be over-night, but I'm guessing we're about to experience some across the board success to go with the improved results of some of our minor sports.

 

[joshvanklomp]

Dear God no, don't put Joshvanklomp in charge of UW athletics...

 

[Cornpoke]

If success isn't realized in both sports in the coming 2-3 years, then there will need to be a lot of soul searching at WYO, IMO. Maybe I'm the only one, but this sure feels like our "all in" moment--at least for the level of athletics I'm hoping for.

I haven't wanted to admit it to myself but you are right. If Bohl doesn't succeed it will take all the wind out of the sails. We might as well pack it up as a D1 program. Wyo may be at the "bottom" of the MWC in funding but for continued growth in donations and state money there must be some return on that dollar! Nobody wants to invest in a failing business!

What it comes down to is the state government wants to see some returns in the form of success for our D1 programs. Continued sustained growth is desperately needed if Wyoming is truly going to build something. I honestly feel we are at a tipping point as the State's budget is going to drastically change in the next few years.