The Wyoming Cowboys college football team represents the University of Wyoming in the Mountain West Conference (MWC), as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 33 head coaches, and 1 interim head coach, since it began play during the 1892 season. Since December 2023, Jay Sawvel has served as Wyoming's head coach. [1]
Nine coaches have led Wyoming in postseason bowl games: Bowden Wyatt, Phil Dickens, Bob Devaney, Lloyd Eaton, Fred Akers, Paul Roach, Joe Tiller, Joe Glenn, Dave Christensen, and Craig Bohl. Five of those coaches also won conference championships: Devaney captured four, Wyatt two, and Dickens one, as a member of the Skyline Conference; Eaton captured three, Roach two, and both Akers abd Tiller one as a member of Western Athletic Conference.
Bohl is the leader in seasons coached, with 10 years as head coach and games coached (121) and won (61). Justus F. Soule has the highest winning percentage at 0.850. Joel Hunt has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with 0.063. Of the 33 different head coaches who have led the Cowboys, Wyatt, Devaney, Pat Dye, and Dennis Erickson have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
General | Overall | Conference | Postseason [A 1] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Order of coaches [A 2] | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties [A 3] | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
† | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage [A 4] |
No. | Name | Season(s) | GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | DCs | CCs | NCs | Awards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fred Hess | 1892 1894 1898 |
8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
2 | Justus F. Soule | 1894–1897 1899 |
10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0.850 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
3 | William McMurray | 1900–1906 | 28 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 0.589 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
4 | Robert Ehlman | 1907–1908 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
5 | Harold I. Dean | 1909–1911 | 24 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 0.479 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0.400 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
6 | Leon Exelby | 1912 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.222 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
7 | Ralph Thacker | 1913–1914 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0.091 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
8 | John Corbett | 1915–1917 1919–1923 |
62 | 15 | 44 | 3 | 0.266 | 10 | 38 | 3 | 0.225 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
9 | William Henry Dietz | 1924–1926 | 25 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 0.440 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 0.368 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
10 | George McLaren | 1927–1929 | 26 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 0.269 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0.059 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
11 | John Rhodes | 1930–1932 | 27 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 0.407 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0.333 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
12 | Willard Witte | 1933–1938 | 49 | 16 | 30 | 3 | 0.357 | 11 | 26 | 3 | 0.313 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
13 | Joel Hunt | 1939 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0.063 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0.083 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
14 | Okie Blanchard | 1940 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0.167 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0.083 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
15 | Bunny Oakes | 1941–1942 1946 |
28 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 0.250 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0.111 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
16 | Bowden Wyatt† | 1947–1952 | 57 | 39 | 17 | 1 | 0.693 | 21 | 13 | 1 | 0.614 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — |
17 | Phil Dickens | 1953–1956 | 41 | 29 | 11 | 1 | 0.720 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0.796 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
18 | Bob Devaney† | 1957–1961 | 50 | 35 | 10 | 5 | 0.750 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 0.838 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — |
19 | Lloyd Eaton | 1962–1970 | 92 | 57 | 33 | 2 | 0.630 | 32 | 19 | 0 | 0.627 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — |
20 | Fritz Shurmur | 1971–1974 | 44 | 15 | 29 | 0 | 0.341 | 10 | 18 | 0 | 0.357 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
21 | Fred Akers | 1975–1976 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 0.435 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0.500 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
22 | Bill Lewis | 1977–1979 | 35 | 13 | 21 | 1 | 0.386 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
23 | Pat Dye† | 1980 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.545 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
24 | Al Kincaid | 1981–1985 | 58 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 0.500 | 19 | 21 | 0 | 0.475 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
25 | Dennis Erickson† | 1986 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0.500 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
26 | Paul Roach | 1987–1990 | 50 | 35 | 15 | 0 | 0.700 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 0.813 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — |
27 | Joe Tiller | 1991–1996 | 70 | 39 | 30 | 1 | 0.564 | 26 | 22 | 1 | 0.541 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
28 | Dana Dimel | 1997–1999 | 35 | 22 | 13 | — | 0.629 | 14 | 9 | — | 0.609 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
29 | Vic Koenning | 2000–2002 | 34 | 5 | 29 | — | 0.147 | 1 | 21 | — | 0.045 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
30 | Joe Glenn | 2003–2008 | 71 | 30 | 41 | — | 0.423 | 15 | 31 | — | 0.326 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
31 | Dave Christensen | 2009–2013 | 62 | 27 | 35 | — | 0.435 | 16 | 21 | — | 0.410 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
Int. |
Pete Kaligis [A 7] |
2012 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | .000 | 0 | 1 | — | .000 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
32 | Craig Bohl | 2014–2023 | 121 | 61 | 60 | — | 0.504 | 37 | 41 | — | 0.474 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
33 | Jay Sawvel | 2024–present | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
The Wyoming Cowboys college football team represents the University of Wyoming in the Mountain West Conference (MWC), as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 33 head coaches, and 1 interim head coach, since it began play during the 1892 season. Since December 2023, Jay Sawvel has served as Wyoming's head coach. [1]
Nine coaches have led Wyoming in postseason bowl games: Bowden Wyatt, Phil Dickens, Bob Devaney, Lloyd Eaton, Fred Akers, Paul Roach, Joe Tiller, Joe Glenn, Dave Christensen, and Craig Bohl. Five of those coaches also won conference championships: Devaney captured four, Wyatt two, and Dickens one, as a member of the Skyline Conference; Eaton captured three, Roach two, and both Akers abd Tiller one as a member of Western Athletic Conference.
Bohl is the leader in seasons coached, with 10 years as head coach and games coached (121) and won (61). Justus F. Soule has the highest winning percentage at 0.850. Joel Hunt has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with 0.063. Of the 33 different head coaches who have led the Cowboys, Wyatt, Devaney, Pat Dye, and Dennis Erickson have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
General | Overall | Conference | Postseason [A 1] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Order of coaches [A 2] | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties [A 3] | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
† | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage [A 4] |
No. | Name | Season(s) | GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | DCs | CCs | NCs | Awards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fred Hess | 1892 1894 1898 |
8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
2 | Justus F. Soule | 1894–1897 1899 |
10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0.850 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
3 | William McMurray | 1900–1906 | 28 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 0.589 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
4 | Robert Ehlman | 1907–1908 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
5 | Harold I. Dean | 1909–1911 | 24 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 0.479 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0.400 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
6 | Leon Exelby | 1912 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.222 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
7 | Ralph Thacker | 1913–1914 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0.091 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
8 | John Corbett | 1915–1917 1919–1923 |
62 | 15 | 44 | 3 | 0.266 | 10 | 38 | 3 | 0.225 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
9 | William Henry Dietz | 1924–1926 | 25 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 0.440 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 0.368 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
10 | George McLaren | 1927–1929 | 26 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 0.269 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0.059 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
11 | John Rhodes | 1930–1932 | 27 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 0.407 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0.333 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
12 | Willard Witte | 1933–1938 | 49 | 16 | 30 | 3 | 0.357 | 11 | 26 | 3 | 0.313 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
13 | Joel Hunt | 1939 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0.063 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0.083 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
14 | Okie Blanchard | 1940 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0.167 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0.083 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
15 | Bunny Oakes | 1941–1942 1946 |
28 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 0.250 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0.111 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
16 | Bowden Wyatt† | 1947–1952 | 57 | 39 | 17 | 1 | 0.693 | 21 | 13 | 1 | 0.614 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — |
17 | Phil Dickens | 1953–1956 | 41 | 29 | 11 | 1 | 0.720 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0.796 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
18 | Bob Devaney† | 1957–1961 | 50 | 35 | 10 | 5 | 0.750 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 0.838 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — |
19 | Lloyd Eaton | 1962–1970 | 92 | 57 | 33 | 2 | 0.630 | 32 | 19 | 0 | 0.627 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — |
20 | Fritz Shurmur | 1971–1974 | 44 | 15 | 29 | 0 | 0.341 | 10 | 18 | 0 | 0.357 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
21 | Fred Akers | 1975–1976 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 0.435 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0.500 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
22 | Bill Lewis | 1977–1979 | 35 | 13 | 21 | 1 | 0.386 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
23 | Pat Dye† | 1980 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0.545 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
24 | Al Kincaid | 1981–1985 | 58 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 0.500 | 19 | 21 | 0 | 0.475 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
25 | Dennis Erickson† | 1986 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0.500 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
26 | Paul Roach | 1987–1990 | 50 | 35 | 15 | 0 | 0.700 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 0.813 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — |
27 | Joe Tiller | 1991–1996 | 70 | 39 | 30 | 1 | 0.564 | 26 | 22 | 1 | 0.541 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
28 | Dana Dimel | 1997–1999 | 35 | 22 | 13 | — | 0.629 | 14 | 9 | — | 0.609 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
29 | Vic Koenning | 2000–2002 | 34 | 5 | 29 | — | 0.147 | 1 | 21 | — | 0.045 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
30 | Joe Glenn | 2003–2008 | 71 | 30 | 41 | — | 0.423 | 15 | 31 | — | 0.326 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
31 | Dave Christensen | 2009–2013 | 62 | 27 | 35 | — | 0.435 | 16 | 21 | — | 0.410 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
Int. |
Pete Kaligis [A 7] |
2012 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | .000 | 0 | 1 | — | .000 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
32 | Craig Bohl | 2014–2023 | 121 | 61 | 60 | — | 0.504 | 37 | 41 | — | 0.474 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
33 | Jay Sawvel | 2024–present | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 0 | — | – | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |