On the same day that the Wyoming Cowboys are set to face the Temple Owls in the 2011 New Mexico Bowl, the school had signed head coach Dave Christensen to a five-year contract extension, according to Eric Blumberg of KOMU.com. Christensen has guided the Cowboys to its second bowl game in three years.
Christensen was hired from the Missouri Tigers in late 2008 after a stint as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at the school. He guided the Cowboys to a 7-6 record that included a 35-28 victory over the Fresno St. Bulldogs in the 2009 New Mexico Bowl.
Christensen was pursued by the Houston Cougars after head coach Kevin Sumlin left for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Two thousand nine was a step back for the Cowboys with a 3-9 record, but the team rebounded in 2010 with an 8-4 record heading into the 2011 New Mexico Bowl. A victory would give the Cowboys its best record since 1996 when the team went 10-2 as a member of the WAC.
For more on this game, visit MAC blog The Hustle Belt, Mountain West blog Mountain West Connection and Wyoming blog Cowboy Altitude. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Football for more on the bowl season.