March 21, 2022
University of Wyoming Basketball Coach Announcement News Conference
The conference room in the Arena Auditorium on the University of Wyoming campus is filled with media representatives from around the region and state. Emily Thompson, Athletic Director stands at the podium, flanked by an unknown individual and several other university officials.
Emily Thompson: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here today. I'm thrilled to announce that we have found our new head coach for the University of Wyoming men's basketball program, Marcus Dawson. Marcus brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and a successful coaching resume along with a passion for the game that aligns perfectly with our program's vision. Without further ado, let's welcome Coach Marcus Dawson.
Marcus Dawson: Thank you, Emily. I'm honored and excited to join the University of Wyoming. I'm looking forward to building on the great legacy of Kenny Sailors, Jim Brandenburg, Benny Dees, Fennis Dembo, Eric Leckner, Marcus Bailey, Josh Davis, and Larry Nance Jr. among others. I'm excited to get to work and meet each of the great student-athletes already here and get moving on recruiting new athletes to improve our program. It's been a whirlwind last six days for my beautiful wife, Sarah, and two children, Lily and Jake. My Hamilton High School team just wrapped up another successful season a week ago and then last week Tuesday I got a call from Emily Thompson that changed my life forever. We flew to Laramie on Saturday morning got a tour of the campus met with the hiring committee and Emily Thompson and had several meetings and interviews that concluded on Sunday afternoon. We had a chance to attend a church service and explore Laramie a little bit before getting a call late Sunday night from Emily offering me the job. My wife and I talked about it and slept on it and gave her an answer this morning and here we are. We still have a lot of loose ends to tie up, but I'm excited to get moving on rebuilding the Cowboys. I'll take a couple of questions.
Marlon Newsome K2News: Marcus, the hiring process seemed quite secretive until the announcement. How do you feel about the somewhat discreet nature of your hire?
Marcus: I understand the curiosity, but I'm not sure how much of a secret it was. I feel like there were a lot of rumors flying around I saw some stuff on X about Ryan Reynolds from Kentucky another high school coach from Iowa or Wisconsin and the head coach at Casper College. The university aimed to conduct a thorough search, and I respect their approach ensuring they found the right fit for the program. I'm honored to be chosen for this role and ready to focus on the team's future.
Ryan Mathews Laramie Boomerang: Marcus, while you've had remarkable success in high school coaching, there are concerns about your lack of direct collegiate experience. How do you plan to address this gap as you transition to coaching at this level?
Marcus: Absolutely, I understand the concern. If I'm being totally honest, I'm a little concerned myself, but I've played D1 basketball under the great Mark Few at Gonzaga, and I've coached hundreds of basketball games. Transitioning to the collegiate level brings new challenges, but my coaching principles remain constant. I've been diligently preparing for this leap, learning from seasoned coaches, and crafting strategies to adapt my coaching style to the collegiate arena. My focus will be on learning adapting, and giving my best to the Wyoming basketball program.
Thank you all, and Go Pokes!
March 21, 2022
@Cowboy Country--Welcome to Wyoming, Coach Dawson! Excited to see how our new head coach from the high school ranks will shape our Cowboys! #GoWyo #NewEra
@PokesPride--High school to the big time? Not entirely convinced, but it can't be any worse than the last regime. Let's see if Dawson can handle the pressure of D1 basketball. #WyomingBasketball #Skeptical.