On March 17, 2020, the University of Wyoming Athletics announced the hiring of Jeff Linder as the 22nd head men’s basketball coach in Wyoming history.
Linder has a familiarity with coaching basketball in the Mountain West, previously working as an assistant coach at Weaver State and Boise State. For the last four seasons, Linder coached at the University of Northern Colorado, leading the Bears to 3 straight 20-win seasons and a title win at the College Invitational Tournament.
“Someone who is from the region understands that University of Wyoming athletics is a big thing,” said power forward for the Cowboys, Hunter Thompson. “Coach Linder grew up near Wyoming and has visited, so he knows what Wyoming is all about and knows what fans expect.”
Known for his healthy offensive style, Linder ended his final season at UNC with an 80-50 record.
“Coach Linder brings a different style of offense that will be new and refreshing for everyone,” Thompson said. “He does a good job of getting players in their comfortable spots and running the offense 100 miles an hour.”
Following his hire, Linder has added three new additions to the Cowboys coaching staff: Assistant Coach Ken DeWeese, Assistant Coach Sundance Wicks and Director of Recruiting Riley Grabau.
Assistant Coach Ken DeWeese has served the last four seasons under Linder at UNC, and the two have formed a strong bond, prompting Linder’s hiring of DeWeese for the Cowboys staff.
“When you’re a player, the biggest thing is pleasing the head coach. Players can go into Coach DeWeese’s office and pick his brain about how to please Coach Linder,” Thompson said.
Prior to joining the program at UNC, DeWeese served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas-El Paso, being noted for his strong recruitment abilities.
“When you have an assistant coach that knows what the head coach want’s that is great for recruiting,” Thompson said.
Linder’s second edition, Sundance Wicks, is a Wyoming native from Gillette, Wyo. Before joining the Cowboys, Wicks served as head coach for The Missouri Western State University for two seasons, leading the Griffons to 18 wins last year.
“It’s really big that Coach Wicks is from Gillette. For someone from Wyoming, it’s a dream to be able to coach at the university. It’s great when you can get someone in the staff that’s from here and knows the pride people have for Wyoming athletics,” Thompson said.
“Coach Wicks is very energetic and always creates positive energy,” Thompson said. “He is passionate about what he is doing. He never does anything 50 percent; he always goes 100 percent or more.”
Riley Grabau, a UW alumnus, and former Cowboys guard, was picked as Linder’s Director or Recruiting. Still considered one of the best shooters in UW history, Grabau led the Pokes to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2015. Following graduation, he played in the British Basketball League for the Gaslow Rocks and has spent the last two seasons as the head basketball coach at Boulder Highschool.
“When you have someone younger like Riley who has been successful here, it’s good for recruiting because he can connect with the new guys coming into a four-year university,” Thompson said.
In this period of transition, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic distancing the players from the new staff, there have been changes to how coaching staff might approach becoming familiar with a new team
The new staff has reached out to the players by traveling to do at-home visits, calling and texting the players and meeting with players over Zoom.
“Me and Coach Wicks have watched film together over Zoom, and all coaches have called and texted us,” Thompson said. “It’s a lot like being recruited in away. You have to make relationships with your coaches from a distance. It’s different but nothing out of the ordinary.”
Thompson and the rest of the organization are happy about the new staff and are working hard during the transition.
“The new staff is something fresh and new. We are getting started with a clean slate,” Thompson said.
