COWBOY COACHES Head Coach
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COWBOY COACHES Head Coach Outlook Coaches Cowboys Opponents STEVE McCLAIN Review Records HEAD BASKETBALL COACH Traditions (Chadron State ‘84) Staff MWC teve McClain enters his First Team All-Mountain West Conference: Josh Davis (1999-2000 ninth season as head and 2000-01); Marcus Bailey (2000-01 and 2001-02); Uche Nsonwu- Scoach at the University of Amadi (2002-03); Donta Richardson (2002-03) and Jay Straight Wyoming. In his eight previous (2004-05). seasons at Wyoming, McClain The high point of the Cowboys’ return to national prominence was has led Wyoming Basketball Wyoming’s appearance in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. It marked the through one of its most school’s fi rst appearance since 1988. Wyoming’s fi rst round win over successful periods in school No. 6 ranked Gonzaga, 73-66, on March 14, 2002, was Wyoming’s fi rst history. When you begin to list NCAA Tournament win since March 14, 1987, when UW defeated No. the accomplishments over the 4 ranked UCLA, 78-68. With their fi rst round win in the 2002 NCAA past eight seasons, one begins Tournament, the Pokes ended the season among the Top 32 teams in to realize how far the Cowboy the country. For his outstanding coaching, McClain was selected the Basketball program has come. 2001-02 MWC Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches. In four of the last eight In the 2000-01 season, he earned Mountain West Conference seasons, Wyoming has appeared in postseason play. The Pokes Coach of the Year honors from CollegeInsider.com, and earned the advanced to the Second Round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament and same honor from MWC media members for the 1999-2000 season. the Second Round of the 2003 National Invitation Tournament. UW Wyoming won 18 games in McClain’s first season, 19 his also advanced to the Second Round of the 1999 NIT and appeared second year, 20 his third season, 22 his fourth and 21 his fi fth. in the 2001 NIT. The three consecutive 20-win seasons marked the fi rst time that Coach McClain has posted the fi fth highest winning percentage had been accomplished since the 1985-86, 1986-87 and 1987-88 in school history — 58.3 percent (140-100 record). His teams have campaigns. averaged 17.5 wins per season through his fi rst eight seasons. During his fi rst eight seasons, the Cowboys defeated three Top But perhaps his most impressive accomplishments are those 25 ranked opponents — No. 20 TCU on Jan. 14, 1999; No. 24 Utah that have come in Mountain West Conference play. Since joining the on Feb. 28, 2000; and No. 6 Gonzaga on March 14, 2002. Mountain West, McClain’s teams have been among the elite programs Heading into the 2000-01 season, ESPN Magazine’s preseason in the conference. During that timespan, Wyoming captured two of issue listed McClain as a member of Dick Vitale’s All-SportsCenter the fi rst seven MWC titles, sharing the title for the 2000-01 season Team — the fi ve “Coaches Who Need Some PT on TV for more PR.” and winning it outright in 2001-02. The back-to-back regular-season His 2001-02 Cowboy squad broke two of the nation’s longest conference titles were the fi rst since the 1980-81 and 1981-82 winning streaks. With its 73-66 win over No. 6 ranked Gonzaga in seasons. The outright title in 2001-02 was Wyoming’s fi rst outright the opening round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament, Wyoming broke championship in 20 years. Wyoming possesses a winning percentage Gonzaga’s 14-game winning streak, which was a Gonzaga school of .530 (53-47 record) in Mountain West Conference regular-season record. Earlier in the year at Utah, the Cowboys 54-46 win in Salt Lake games, which ranks as the fourth best winning percentage in the MWC. In those seven seasons, the Cowboys have also fi nished in the top half of the league in fi ve out of seven years. The only other MWC members to accomplish that have been Utah, UNLV and BYU. At the conclusion of the 2005-06 season, McClain’s Cowboys came within one overtime period and four points of earning their third MWC Championship and second NCAA Tournament bid, as the Pokes took Mountain West Conference regular-season champion San Diego State to overtime in the MWC Championship Game before falling 64-69. McClain has coached two All-Americans in his fi rst eight years in Laramie. Josh Davis was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American in his senior season of 2001-02. Prior to the 2002-03 season, Marcus Bailey was one of only 50 players nationally named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-America team. In fi ve of the seven seasons that McClain has coached in the Mountain West Conference, at least one Cowboy has been named Kim, Dylan and Steve McClain 58 2006-07 WYOMING BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE Head Coach Outlook Coaches CCityity brokebroke Utah’sUtah’s 48-game48-game homehome winwin streakstreak againstagainst McClain, 44 (Aug. 15, 1962), was an original member of Billy Cowboys cconferenceonference oopponents,pponents, wwhichhich wwasas tthehe llongestongest Tubbs’ staff at TCU. The year prior to the Tubbs’ staff taking over in Opponents conference winning streak in the countrcountry.y. Fort Worth, TCU posted a record of 7-20. Three years later, the Horned Review TThehe 2000-012000-01 seasonseason concludedconcluded withwith WyomingWyoming Frogs posted a 22-13 record, advanced to the Championship Game of Records winning 20 games (20-10 record) for the the 1997 Western Athletic Conference Tournament and played their Traditions ffirstirst timetime sincesince thethe 1990-911990-91 season.season. way into the Second Round of the National Invitation Tournament. In Staff MWC Wyoming shared its fi rst regular-seasonregular-season 1998, TCU joined the elite programs in the country, posting a 27-6 cconferenceonference titletitle sincesince thethe 1985-861985-86 record and leading the nation in scoring at 97.2 points per game. sseason,eason, aandnd earnedearned a spotspot inin thethe The Horned Frogs earned an NCAA Tournament bid in ‘98, and ended 2001 NITNIT.. the season ranked No. 15 in the fi nal Associated Press poll. TCU also In the 1999-2000 season, became the fi rst team in Western Athletic Conference history to go MMcClaincClain ledled a veteranveteran teamteam intointo undefeated in league play, posting a 14-0 record in ‘98 on way to tthehe nnewly-formedewly-formed MMountainountain WestWest winning the WAC Pacifi c Division title. CConference.onference. WWyomingyoming eearnedarned a Not only did McClain enjoy success as an assistant coach, but he 119-129-12 rrecord,ecord, aandnd iimprovedmproved iitsts brought to Wyoming an outstanding record as a head coach. In 1994 conference record to 8-6. Along the as the head coach at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, wayway,, UW defeadefeatedted Utah and UNLUNLVV in Kan., he won the National Junior College Championship in only his Laramie, and ssweptwept the season series with third season, and was named the National Junior College Coach of NNewew MMexico.exico. WWyomingyoming aadvanceddvanced ttoo tthehe the Year. semifi nals of the 2000 MWC Tournament.Tournament. At the junior-college level, McClain compiled a 91-16 (.850) MMcClain’scClain’s firstfirst seasonseason ofof 1998-991998-99 record in three seasons, and his teams were known as high-scoring wwasas highlightedhighlighted byby Wyoming’sWyoming’s appearanceappearance squads. His 1994 National Championship team averaged 90 points per iinn tthehe 11999999 NNationalational IInvitationnvitation TTournamentournament game on way to a 35-4 (.897) record. In 1992-93, the Hutch Dragons ((NIT),NIT), wwherehere UUWW aadvanceddvanced ttoo tthehe NNITIT SSecondecond compiled a 29-5 (.853) record, averaged 92.6 points and ended the RRound.ound. MMcClaincClain gguideduided WWyomingyoming ttoo aann 881-771-77 season ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA. His fi rst season as head coach, vvictoryictory ooverver UUSCSC iinn tthehe FFirstirst RRoundound ooff tthehe NNITIT iinn 1991-92, Hutchinson posted a 27-7 (.794) record. LLaramie,aramie, mmarkingarking tthehe CCowboys’owboys’ fi rrstst ppostseasonostseason Prior to becoming head coach at Hutchinson, McClain served as wwinin sincesince thethe 1990-911990-91 season.season. WyomingWyoming postedposted an assistant coach there aann 18-1018-10 record,record, 7-77-7 inin thethe WesternWestern AthleticAthletic for fi ve seasons, helping CConference.onference. guide the Dragons to the Add to those accomplishments the excitement thathatt McClain’McClain’ss 1988 NJCAA National up-tempo style has brought to the Cowboys, and you have one of the Championship. Before most exciting teams in the country. The 2001-02 season saw the coaching at Hutchinson, Pokes average 75.0 points per game to rank No. 2 in the Mountain he was also an assistant West Conference. For the 2000-01 season, Wyoming led the MWC in coach at: Independence scoring, averaging 76.1 points per game. In 1999-2000, the Cowboys Community College in averaged 82. 8 points per game to rank No. 5 in the nation in scoring Independence, Kan.; average. In Coach McClain’s fi rst season at UW, the 1998-99 season, Sioux Empire Junior College the Cowboys averaged 81.6 points per game to rank No. 10 among in Iowa; and his alma mater all NCAA Division I teams. Chadron State College in Chadron, On April 22, 1998, Steve McClain became the 19th head Neb. basketball coach in the history of the University of Wyoming. A native of Orient, “My goal had always been to be a Division I head coach, and Iowa, McClain is a 1984 I thank the University of Wyoming for giving me this opportunity,” graduate of Chadron McClain said.