Wyoming Officials fly to Atlanta to meet with Search Firm

As of this writing Wyoming officials boarded a plan from Laramie early on Wednesday morning headed for Atlanta.  Among the officials included were UW President Tom Buchanan and AD Tom Burman.  There they will meet with Parker Executive search firm to discuss the candidates and prepare an offer for their top choice.  The flight is scheduled to return back to Laramie at 10:45pm this evening.

If all goes well and the offer is accepted Wyoming could announce the newest basketball coach on Thursday or Friday.  This would accomplish the goal that Tom Burman set of having a hire complete by the Final Four.  There are many larger programs that are actively looking for coaches right now and the competition is fierce.  With schools like Missouri, Utah and NC State seeking coaches it can be a good time for job seekers. 

For Wyoming to secure a new coach in this environment would be a great symbol of the job they have done on showing the candidates they are serious about stepping up the program.  On a Wednesday interview on KFBC Senior Associate AD Kevin McKinney sounded positive about the process and that it should be near completion.

The top four candidates would be: Mike Dunlap (St Johns) , Blaine Taylor (Old Dominion), Larry Shyatt (Florida) and Billy Kennedy (Murray State).  Dunlap and Taylor were interviewed last week when Wyoming officials flew to meet them. 

Dunlap seems to be linked with nearly every job that opens up but so far there has no comment from on what schools he is interested in coaching.  Taylor has been linked with the opening at Utah but he may not be a candidate there. 

About Utah, Taylor said: "I have a lot of respect for them, going into the Pac 10, which is a league that I've been in. (But) I'm kind of more dealing with our people here, trying to figure out kind of where we're headed. ... I have not had any dialogue (with Utah officials).