Wyoming’s Christensen Agrees To 5-Year Contract

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — University of Wyoming coach Dave Christensen says he has agreed in principle to a new, five-year contract.

Christensen and athletic director Tom Burman confirmed the agreement Saturday, the day the Cowboys were beaten by Temple 37-15 in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M.

Burman said Christensen would get a substantial raise.

"I really don't want to talk about dollar figures until we get it done, but there is a significant raise," Burman told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle (http://bit.ly/vhB1ag ). "We want to keep him here, and we knew we had to up the ante."

No other details of the pending contract were announced. Burman says he expects the contract to be finalized this week.

Burman told the Casper Star-Tribune (http://bit.ly/sb4Dux) that other universities were expressing interest in Christensen.

Christensen is 18-20 in three seasons at Wyoming. The Cowboys have played in the New Mexico Bowl in two of those three years.

"I'm excited about the direction of the program and I think the future's very bright," he said.

Christensen, 50, was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year this season after leading the Cowboys to a third-place finish and a 5-2 conference record. Wyoming was 8-5 overall.

Freshman quarterback Brett Smith said he was happy with the extension.

"It makes us feel good because he recruited us; we committed to his program," Smith said. "I'm really happy that we're sticking to that."