Dave Christensen, architect of Missouri’s high-octane, no-huddle spread as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, will be named Wyoming’s new head coach as early as today, according to reports.
Missouri athletic director Mike Alden confirmed Christensen’s departure Sunday, telling The Kansas City Star during the Tigers’ men’s basketball game. The departure had been announced earlier in the day at the football team’s annual banquet.
Wyoming spokesman Tim Harkins said he could not confirm any pending news conference.
Christensen replaces Joe Glenn, who was fired a week ago after the Cowboys finished 4-8, two wins shy of the goal of bowl-eligibility.
Christensen has been an offensive coordinator under Gary Pinkel since 1997, first at Toledo, then following Pinkel to Missouri in 2001. Christensen has coached the offensive line the past 17 seasons.
Earlier this week, Christensen told reporters in Columbia: “Everybody wants to advance their career, and I’d like to be a head coach someday. But we’ve still got three games to go and I’ve got to put my focus on the job that I have, which is an unbelievable job.”
With two other openings in the Mountain West alone, it behooved athletic director Tom Burman to act swiftly as the annual coaching changes continue this week.
According to several Wyoming outlets, Burman flew to Nebraska, Missouri and Michigan last week to meet with Nebraska receivers coach and Wyoming alum Ted Gilmore, Christensen and former Wyoming assistant and Louisville/Michigan State head coach John L. Smith.
Big 12 North champ Missouri (9-3), currently ranked No. 19 by The Associated Press, next plays Saturday in the Big 12 title game against Oklahoma. It is not known if Christensen will coach the Tigers there or in their bowl game.
Missouri was fifth nationally in total offense at 490.29 yards in 2007 and is sixth this season at 509.42 yards.
Back-to-back dual-threat quarterbacks Brad Smith and Chase Daniel vaulted the Tigers to the top of the North Division in recent seasons.
When Christensen was named as a possibility for the Washington vacancy, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer quoted Daniel as saying, “He is one of the smartest minds in football and does exceptionally well jelling with his players.”
Glenn, likewise, had a reputation as a coach of high-powered, albeit lower-division offenses. The Glenn era was done in by several years of turnover-prone offenses and an inability to settle on a quarterback.
Christensen will be the second Everett, Wash., native to take the Cowboys’ helm after Dennis Erickson’s lone 1986 season. He is the first former Big 12 assistant since Dana Dimel was tapped from Kansas State following the 1996 season.
Christensen, who played at Washington for three seasons (1980-82), also coached the Huskies’ offensive line (1989-90) before going to Idaho State. In 1992 he was hired by Pinkel at Toledo.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
