New coach a familiar face at Wyoming

If UNLV was at one end of the spectrum when it comes to coaching searches, Wyoming was at the opposite side.

The Rebels’ process was long and drawn out, but Wyoming’s search ended the day it began.

In one news conference on March 21, the Cowboys announced Larry Shyatt was stepping down after six seasons, and an hour later, assistant coach Allen Edwards was promoted to take his place.

“He’s built a good rapport with the team,” said junior Alan Herndon, a 6-foot-9-inch forward. “Everybody knows him and knows what he’s like, so it’s an easier transition. We didn’t have to go through a whole new head coach with all new coaches and an all new system.”

Edwards said already being inside the program was crucial for him. He coached under Shyatt for five seasons.

“It was a very easy transition,” Edwards said. “I only say that because you hear the other side of the story when you go into a new situation and you have to build trust. You have to deal with the possibility of guys wanting to leave and transfer and all these other things.

”And also the lay of the land. I feel like all of that stuff was already in place. When I took over, the guys that were on the team were all in.”

Wyoming returns four starters and nine lettermen from a team that went 14-18 last season, including 7-11 in the Mountain West. The Cowboys were picked by the media to finish 10th this season.

They will have to replace forward Josh Adams, who was named Player of the Year by the conference media last season after averaging 24.7 points. But Wyoming brings back 6-5 senior guard Jason McManamen, who averaged 14.4 points and made 44.0 percent of his 3-pointers.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow on @markanderson65 on Twitter.