When Wyoming travels to El Paso for its matchup with UTEP, the game carries a little extra historical weight because of Dana Dimel. The former Wyoming coach later took over at UTEP, and his path through Laramie, Houston and El Paso still gives this trip a familiar edge for Cowboys fans who remember how his tenure unfolded.
Dimel coached Wyoming from 1997 to 1999, then later took the reins of the UTEP program in 2018. His time in Laramie remained part of the conversation long after he left, especially because of the way he described the move. In a spring 2019 interview, he said there were “a couple of variables” behind his decision to leave, including the money and the opportunity to make staff changes.
“One, Houston was going to pay me $750,000 a year. I was making $195,000 at Laramie. So, that was a no-brainer. Secondly, I was going to have to make some moves with friends (in the coaching staff). They weren't grooving really well in the mix of what we were doing,” Dimel said.
That blunt explanation fit the way Dimel often spoke about his career. He also said he knew almost immediately that leaving Wyoming was a mistake, even though he understood why the move happened at the time. The financial jump was substantial, but so was the emotional pull of the job he had left behind.
Dimel's Wyoming connection still resonates
Dimel's comments helped explain why his name still comes up when Wyoming fans look back at that era. He acknowledged that he could have handled the departure better, but he also made clear how much the university meant to him. “I could've left it better,” he said, while adding, “They gave me my first job, and I have nothing but unbelievable memories there.”
He also emphasized the personal side of that relationship, saying that people who knew him understood how he treated others. “The one thing that helped me there is, anyone who really knew me knows how I respect and treat people. They know who I am as a person. You can be mad at me, but you know what kind of quality individual I am,” he said.
That history is part of why Saturday night is about more than just another game on the schedule. Wyoming's trip back to Texas brings that old storyline back into focus, with Dimel's career serving as a reminder of how closely these programs have been tied together through one coach's path.
For Wyoming, the matchup is about the present. For those who followed Dimel's career, it is also a look back at a coach who left a lasting mark in Laramie before his next stop in Houston and later his turn at UTEP. On Saturday night, that is the piece of the game that will linger for some fans, even as the teams settle the result on the field.
