Wyoming fires coach

[Da Coach]

University of Wyoming fired head coach Heath Schroyer.

http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_17324481

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/worst-job-in-america-wyoming-fires-hoops-coach-29476

It's reported that the 3 additional years at $160,000 per year will be bought out by private boosters, and the state of Wyoming taxpayers will not pay any of that. Of course, that is another one of those meaningless "paper shuffles" where booster money that has been donated to the athletic funds is used to pay off a fired coach. They pretend none of it comes from general university funds. But then taxpayer funds are used to pay for other things in the athletic department that the same donations would have paid for, so in the end, the taxpayers still foot the bill.

[tornado]

that means BU will be playing Wyoming next season with a new head coach -- maybe Ritchie McKay, WM, or Gregg Marshall?

[squirrelgotdead]

A Casper Star-Tribune write suggests 2 Valley head coaches (Jacobson, Martin) and 2 Big 10 assistants, including Jerrance Howard:

http://trib.com/news/opinion/blogs/creglow/article_eddf1a82-3326-11e0-8414-001cc4c03286.html

[Da Coach]

There are some Mountain West schools that an MVC head coach would consider a step up. Wyoming is not one of them. It is a football school located in the most sparsely populated state outside of Alaska. Most UW fans don't even know who their basketball coach is, and many don't even know they have a basketball team. Heath Schroyer is an excellent coach and has a history of being a very good recruiter. If he can't succeed at Wyoming and is being run out of town, it will be difficult for anyone to succeed.

I also will make the bold prediction that Jerrance Howard will not be interested in this job, though there will be a lot of assistants at BCS schools who will be. Schroyer's salary was $160,000, which he will be paid for the next 3 years as part of the settlement. Howard already makes much more than that.

Recruiting players is more difficult at University of Wyoming than at any major state school in the country. Maybe that's why they might be interested in Jerrance Howard. It will take an incredible recruiter to be successful there. The state of Wyoming produces extremely few Division 1 players. There have been seasons the UW has not had any players from the state of Wyoming, virtually unheard of for a top state school. They currently have as many players from France as they do from the state of Wyoming.

[squirrelgotdead]

Wyoming is a good school, and actually has a decent hoops tradition, though winning a National Championship in 1943. They have also produced a recent NBA'er in Theo Ratliff.

All that said, I'm not sold on Schroyer (he has only had 2 winning seasons in what would have been 7, winning just 19 games in each of those campaigns).

Wyoming should be at least .500 next year, so there is an opportunity to win right away which alone makes it attractive to someone who might not be interested in being there long to begin with.

The salary would need to be upped to get a good coach. I agree it will be tough in terms of salary.

Larry Shyatt had a single good year there (also winning 19 games) before bolting for Clemson, and Steve McClain was decent, but not overly successful in terms of league finish, leading the team to the NCAA's 2nd round and had a decent recruiting coup in landing Brandon Ewing.

[tornado]

Don't forget Fennis Dembo -- 2311 career points at Wyoming..leading them to the Sweet Sixteen

[squirrelgotdead]

It would also be prudent to point out Wyoming has had its fair share of mild-to-severe injuries this season as well.

http://trib.com/college/wyoming/article_a179a96a-7a54-5af7-a4cb-77b17ee3ac6c.html

[AZ BU Fan]

A Major College MBB firing a coach in mid season

Oooooooh Noooooooo....



Dr. Peter "T" Venkman: This Wyo Men's BB program is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.

Mayor "BB": What do you mean, "biblical"?

Dr Ray "DC" Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of God type stuff.

Dr. Peter "T" Venkman: Exactly.

Dr Ray "DC" Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!

Dr. Egon "BNC" Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...

Winston "BF" Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave!

Dr. Peter "T" Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

Mayor "BB": All right, all right! I get your point!

Can't believe a coach would be fired mid season!

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[ifarania]

Wyoming really is a football school. It is VERY difficult to attract DI caliber basketball players to a city of 30,000 in the Rockies that doesn't have big city clubs and culture. Case in point, the team has a starter from Mexico, a starter from France, and a starter from Senegal, I believe. While the students and state rally behind the football team (Laramie is the biggest city in the state on game day), the basketball games are .. well.. The students sit throughout the games, and the upper bowl is entirely empty. Needless to say, when Bradley comes to town, I and other BU fans will CLEARLY be heard.

I went to the BYU/Wyoming game last week, and while the team played hard, the offense consists of a high screen, standing around, and then a bailout shot by someone who has no business shooting an 18 footer with 3 seconds left on the shot clock. The alternate play is that Desmar Jackson creates his own offense, which either results in a highlight or a turnover (complete playground hoops). It was pretty frustrating to watch against the clockwork precision of the BYU team. While the team is healthy academically (compared to before), I'm not surprised he's out.

[BradleyBrave]

I guess they weren't too afraid of player defections, losing an incoming class, or years of 'rebuilding'.

[Da Coach]

I guess they weren't too afraid of player defections or losing an incoming class.

and I am certain they will be in the NCAA next season with this move.

BTW- Schroyer was only in is 4th season, and had the Freshman of the Year in the MWC along with some other good young talent, including another kid that made the All Freshman team last season. I suspect most of those kids will transfer, since they are a long way from home. This year's team was struck with a number of key injuries, so not all the losing was Schroyer's fault. Let's see how long it takes for the next coach to rebuild Wyoming into a winning team. I predict it will be many years.

[BradleyBrave]

and I am certain they will be in the NCAA next season with this move.

Probably not. The guy will need to get 'his' players in there before any type of success can be expected.

Who knows, it could be decades before the program sees the light of day again, if it even survives.

[ifarania]

and I am certain they will be in the NCAA next season with this move.

BTW- Schroyer was only in is 4th season, and had the Freshman of the Year in the MWC along with some other good young talent, including another kid that made the All Freshman team last season. I suspect most of those kids will transfer, since they are a long way from home. This year's team was struck with a number of key injuries, so not all the losing was Schroyer's fault. Let's see how long it takes for the next coach to rebuild Wyoming into a winning team. I predict it will be many years.

It is structurally difficult to have a successful basketball team here. I don't foresee a powerhouse any time in my tenure here.

[BradleyBrave]

and I am certain they will be in the NCAA next season with this move.

BTW- Schroyer was only in is 4th season, and had the Freshman of the Year in the MWC along with some other good young talent, including another kid that made the All Freshman team last season. I suspect most of those kids will transfer, since they are a long way from home. This year's team was struck with a number of key injuries, so not all the losing was Schroyer's fault. Let's see how long it takes for the next coach to rebuild Wyoming into a winning team. I predict it will be many years.

Might take a long time. Or it might not.

Should a coaching change ever take place? If so, when? If not, why? I am just curious.

[AZ BU Fan]

JL stay/go arguments remind me of the old "Point/Counter Point" segment on 60 minutes from '71-79, featuring James J Kilpatrick and Shana Alexander, parodied to perfection by SNL with Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain...



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