Wyoming denying reports on McClain

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — University of Wyoming officials are denying reports that basketball coach Steve McClain will be fired on Monday, despite a newspaper report in which McClain himself appeared to confirm it.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in Friday's editions that McClain — asked if he would be fired by athletic director Gary Barta — confirmed that he would.

"It's true," McClain said. "But I have nothing to hang my head about."

Athletics spokesman Kevin McKinney said Friday he hadn't seen the Review-Journal's story but denied that any decision had been made.

"I had a meeting this morning with Gary Barta, and that is absolutely not true," McKinney said. "There's rumors flying around like you wouldn't believe — unbelievable things. The fact of the matter is Gary Barta will not make a decision until after the season, when he sits down with coach McClain for their regular evaluation."

Neither Barta nor McClain could be reached for comment.

The reports come as Wyoming — a 57-55 upset winner over Air Force on Thursday — prepared for the Mountain West Conference semifinals Friday night against Utah.

At 13-17 going into the semifinals, McClain was 139-99 in eight seasons with the Cowboys. He won NJCAA national championships both as an assistant coach (1988) and as a head coach (1994) at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, then spent four seasons as an assistant at TCU before coming to Wyoming in 1998.

In his first five seasons, McClain guided the Cowboys to three NITs and to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2002.

But the Cowboys are virtually assured of their second losing season in the past three years; last year's team finished barely over .500 at 15-13 and did not get an NIT bid.