Wyoming Changes Head Football Coach

ESPN reports that the University of Wyoming has fired Dave Christensen as their head football coach.  I have previously blogged about Wyoming when they changed their defensive coordinator through the first eight weeks this season, so what I thought what I would do is that look at Wyoming's performance under former head coach Christensen tenure using the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model.

Below is a chart of Wyoming football ranking (total, offense and defense along with the worst team for each) using the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model under Christensen's tenure.  Below the chart is a more detailed analysis of Wyoming football.

2013
This is a similar season for Cowboy football.  While Wyoming finished the regular season at 5-7, they are still bowl ineligible.  All of Wyoming's victories were against teams in the bottom 25 of the NCAA FBS Production Model - (FCS Northern Colorado; #123 Idaho; #105 Air Force; #103 New Mexico; and #109 Hawaii).  While the Cowboys offense is much better this season (currently ranked #30 in all of FBS; their defense is currently ranked #111 out of 125).  This results in Wyoming being currently ranked #79 in terms of overall productivity, while playing against an average strength of schedule as compared to the league as a whole.

One of the real difficult areas is not the poor performance by Wyoming's defense, but rather the reduced offensive output when facing better quality opponents:  only 10 points against currently ranked #18 Fresno State; 7 points against currently ranked #29 Boise State;  and 7 points against currently ranked #21 Utah State.  Thus one of the strengths of the team fared rather poorly in the latter part of the season against higher quality opponents.  While Wyoming improved from the 2012 season, it was not enough of an improvement in the administration's eyes to keep the current football leadership.

2012
This was a difficult season for the Cowboys.  Wyoming finished at 4-8 and bowl ineligible.  Wyoming's four victories were against teams ranked #96 (New Mexico), #98 (Colorado State), #109 (UNLV) and #122 (Idaho).  Worst still was that Wyoming lost to FCS Cal Poly in mid Sept.  Wyoming, which was the worst loss of the season.  The Cowboys played against an average strength of schedule as compared to the "league" as a whole and finished in terms of the NCAA FBS Production Model as the #87 most productive team in the nation, with the #80 ranked offense and the #86 ranked defense.  Thus Wyoming took a step backwards from the previous season in terms of on-field performance.

2011
Year three of Christensen's tenure was the best season under Christensen at the helm.  Wyoming finished 8-4 and bowl eligible, but was defeated 15-37 to the #13 ranked Temple owls in the New Mexico Bowl - as predicted to finish at 8-5 overall.  Wyoming's best victory (win over highest ranked NCAA FBS Production ranked team) was a 25-17 win over #40 ranked Air Force.  Wyoming played against an average strength of schedule and finished as the #67 ranked team in overall production and the #26 ranked offense and the #94 ranked defense.

2010
Wyoming did not make any real progress, finishing the regular season at 3-9.  By far the Cowboys best victory was a 20-15 win over #55 Toledo and by far their worst defeat was to the worst team in the FBS in 2010 - #120 ranked New Mexico.  Wyoming played against an average strength of schedule and finished as the #101 ranked team in overall production with the #108 ranked offense and the #73 ranked defense.  Thus Wyoming moved up one spot in terms of overall productivity from 2009.

2009
In Dave Christensen's first season as head football coach at the University of Wyoming, the Cowboys finished the regular season at 6-6 becoming bowl eligible and the Cowboys defeated #74 ranked Fresno State to finish the season at 7-6.  Wyoming's best victory was over Fresno State in the bowl game; their worst loss was a 0-24 defeat to the #104 ranked University of Colorado Buffalo's.  Other than that loss all the rest of Wyoming's defeats were to teams that finished the post-season in the Top 25 of the NCAA FBS Production model.

Wyoming finished as the #102 ranked team in overall production, with the #97 ranked offense and the #81 ranked defense while playing against a strength of schedule that was average as compared to the "league" as a whole.

2013 NCAA FBS Head Coach Changes
Eastern Michigan and Ron English
Florida Atlantic and Carl Pelini
Miami of Ohio and Don Treadwell
UConn and Paul Pasqualoni
USC and Lane Kiffen