What Is 1956 Wyoming Cowboys football team

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Last updated: April 14, 2026

Quick Answer: The 1956 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming during the 1956 NCAA football season, finishing with a 4–5–1 record under head coach Phil Dickens. They competed in the Skyline Conference and played home games at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.

Key Facts

The 1956 Wyoming Cowboys finished the season with a 4–5–1 overall record
Head coach Phil Dickens led the team in his second season at Wyoming
They played in the Skyline Conference, finishing with a 2–4 conference record
Home games were held at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming
The team scored 117 points during the season, averaging 11.7 per game

Overview

The 1956 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming during the 1956 NCAA college football season. Competing in the Skyline Conference, the team was led by head coach Phil Dickens in his second year at the helm, striving to build consistency after a promising 1955 campaign.

Playing their home games at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, the Cowboys struggled to maintain momentum throughout the season, finishing with a 4–5–1 overall record and a 2–4 mark in conference play. Despite the losing record, the season laid groundwork for future improvements under Dickens’ leadership.

Record: The team finished with a 4–5–1 overall record, marking a slight decline from their 6–3–1 performance in 1955.
Conference: As members of the Skyline Conference, they posted a 2–4 record, placing them in the lower half of the standings.
Scoring: The Cowboys scored 117 total points across 10 games, averaging 11.7 points per game, which ranked them below mid-tier teams nationally.
Home Field: War Memorial Stadium, located in Laramie, served as their home venue and had a capacity of approximately 30,000 at the time.
Head Coach: Phil Dickens, in his second season, continued to implement a balanced offensive strategy despite limited offensive firepower.

Season Performance

The 1956 season was marked by inconsistency, with the Cowboys starting strong but faltering in key conference matchups. Their schedule included a mix of regional rivals and independent teams, providing a challenging test for a developing squad.

Season Opener: The Cowboys opened with a 13–7 win over Colorado State, showing early promise with a solid defensive effort.
Midseason Struggles: After a 2–1 start, they lost four of their next five games, including defeats to Utah and Colorado.
Key Player: Quarterback Jerry DeLucca emerged as a reliable leader, throwing for 597 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
Defensive Effort: The defense allowed 16.7 points per game, struggling particularly against stronger Skyline opponents like Utah and Colorado A&M.
Final Game: The season concluded with a 14–13 loss to Air Force, a narrow defeat that underscored their competitive but inconsistent performance.
Tie Game: Their only tie came against New Mexico, a 7–7 deadlock that highlighted offensive stagnation in close contests.

Comparison at a Glance

The following table compares the 1956 Wyoming Cowboys to select Skyline Conference teams based on key performance metrics:

Team	Overall Record	Conference Record	Points For	Points Against
Wyoming	4–5–1	2–4	117	167
Utah	5–5	4–3	137	118
Colorado A&M	6–4	5–2	143	109
New Mexico	3–7	1–5	85	147
Utah State	4–6	2–5	118	144

Wyoming ranked fourth in the six-team Skyline Conference standings, ahead of only New Mexico and Utah State. Their point differential of –50 reflected struggles on both sides of the ball, particularly in conference play where depth and execution proved decisive.

Why It Matters

While not a standout season, the 1956 campaign was a transitional year that helped shape Wyoming’s football trajectory in the late 1950s. It highlighted both the challenges of mid-tier college programs and the importance of consistent coaching and player development.

Program Development: The season underscored the need for improved recruiting and depth, especially in the offensive line and secondary.
Coach Dickens: Phil Dickens remained head coach through 1957, compiling a 13–10 record over three seasons before departing.
Stadium Legacy: War Memorial Stadium continued to grow in significance, eventually becoming one of the highest-elevation stadiums in FBS football.
Conference Realignment: The Skyline Conference dissolved in 1962, leading Wyoming to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 1968.
Historical Context: The 1956 team played during a period of national expansion in college football, as television and bowl games increased visibility.
Player Legacy: Several players from the 1956 roster went on to serve in leadership roles within the university’s athletic department in later decades.

The 1956 Wyoming Cowboys may not have achieved postseason success, but their season remains a documented chapter in the evolution of Wyoming football, reflecting the growing pains of a program building toward future competitiveness.