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Wyoming hires Mizzou coordinator

By Pat Rooney, Special to the Rocky

Published November 30, 2008 at 12:44 p.m.
Updated November 30, 2008 at 12:44 p.m.

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LARAMIE — Dave Christensen, ranked the No. 1 offensive coach in college football by Rivals.com, has accepted the head coaching job at the University of Wyoming, the Rocky Mountain News has learned. An announcement is expected within 24 hours.

Christensen, the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Missouri, was with the Tigers for their game against Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday, and then, along with his wife, flew on the University of Wyoming private plane to Laramie where he spent the night, working out details and meeting school officials, sources said.

Christensen returned to Columbia, Mo., today to take part in the seniors banquet, and will be busy this week helping Missouri prepare for the Big 12 title game, but could be back in Laramie on Monday to be introduced to the media and Wyoming fans.

Christensen replaces Joe Glenn, who was fired a week ago after six years as the Wyoming head coach. The Cowboys struggled offensively in recent years, and athletic director Tom Burman emphasized an offensive approach for a new coach.

Christensen has been the the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Missouri the past eight years, coming from the University of Toledo along with Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel. Christensen has been on Pinkel’s staff since 1992 at Toledo. He also served as an assistant coach at Idaho State and the University of Washington and played for Don James at Washington in 1980-82.

Burman, senior associate athletics director Kevin McKinney and UW president Tom Buchanan made a whirlwind tour on Tuesday and Wednesday, flying to Lincoln, Neb., to interview Nebraska wide receiver coach Ted Gilmore, a former Wyoming player; to Columbia, Mo., to meet with Christensen, and to East Lansing, Mich., to meet with former Wyoming assistant coach John L. Smith, former head coach at Idaho, Utah State, Louisville and Michigan State.

Following those sessions Christensen became the No. 1 target to replace Glenn, a fan favorite during his six years in which he was 30-41, including 4-8 in 2008.

Christensen is believed to already have a coaching staff in mind, and Marty English, the Cowboys’ linebacker coach and primary recruiter in Colorado, is expected to be offered a position on the new staff, possibly as the defensive coordinator. English, who played for Glenn at Northern Colorado, was the defensive coordinator at UNC (2000-02) before joining Glenn’s staff at Wyoming as the linebackers coach.