1986 Wyoming Cowboys football team

1986 Wyoming Cowboys football
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Record6–6 (4–4 WAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBob Bratkowski (1st season)
Offensive schemeSingle-back spread
Defensive coordinatorJohn L. Smith (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumWar Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1985
1987 →
1986 Western Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
San Diego State $ 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
BYU 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 5 – 0
Air Force 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Hawaii 4 – 4 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Colorado State 4 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Wyoming 4 – 4 – 0 6 – 6 – 0
New Mexico 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 8 – 0
UTEP 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 8 – 0
Utah 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1986 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. A charter member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), Wyoming played its home games in War Memorial Stadium, an outdoor facility on campus in Laramie, Wyoming.

Led by first-year head coach Dennis Erickson in his only season at Wyoming, the Cowboys compiled a 6-6 record (4-4 against conference opponents), and finished sixth in the WAC. The team outscored their opponents 299 to 272. Erickson installed his "Air Express" form of the spread offense and led the Cowboys to 3–1 start in September, with road wins at Air Force and Wisconsin.

Hired in early December 1985, Erickson was previously the head coach for four seasons at the University of Idaho in Moscow. His four-year contract at Wyoming included a base annual salary of $60,000 plus $20,000 from radio and television, and the rent-free use of a home in Laramie.[1][2][3] The Cowboys had previously run the wishbone and were 3–8 in 1985, tied for seventh in the nine-team WAC.

After the season in early January 1987, Erickson left Wyoming without notice to return to the Palouse as head coach at Washington State University in Pullman.[4][5][6][7][8]

  1. ^ Boling, Dave (December 2, 1985). "Erickson leaves Idaho for Wyoming". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
  2. ^ "New Wyo. coach will air it out". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). December 3, 1985. p. D5.
  3. ^ "Coaches in transition: Idaho's Erickson takes Wyoming top job". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 3, 1985. p. 2D.
  4. ^ Grummert, Dale (January 8, 1987). "Erickson sets lofty goals for Cougars". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. C1.
  5. ^ Condotta, Bob (January 7, 1987). "Denny's dream comes true". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 1.
  6. ^ Weaver, Dan (January 8, 1987). "Erickson followed his heart to WSU". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
  7. ^ "Pokes' Erickson to Washington State". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). staff and wire reports. January 7, 1987. p. B7.
  8. ^ Kiszla, Mark (January 8, 1987). "'Pokes want coach who will stay". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). (Denver Post). p. D4.