July 2, 2023 — The University of Wyoming invites Cowboy fans, community members, and friends to a July 15 memorial service for former Wyoming Cowboys Head Basketball Coach Jim Brandenburg. The service will occur at the Arena-Auditorium on the UW campus at 11 a.m. Brandenburg passed away in Lakeway, Texas, on June 18, 2023, at 87.
In a press release from UW, It is fitting that Coach Brandenburg will be memorialized in Wyoming’s Arena-Auditorium — a building he was extremely proud of and was heavily involved in helping it become a reality during his tenure as head coach.
Brandenburg, one of the greatest coaches in University of Wyoming history, coached the Cowboy Basketball team for nine seasons from 1978-79 through 1986-87. During that time, he led UW to: four Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships, three regular-season and one WAC Tournament title; three NCAA Tournaments, including the Sweet 16 in 1987; and a runner-up finish in the 1986 NIT.
On Sept. 15, 2000, Brandenburg was inducted into the University of Wyoming Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition to his three WAC Coach of the Year awards, Brandenburg was named the Eastman Kodak NCAA Division I District 13 Coach of the Year in 1986. He also coached the West Team to a Gold Medal at the 1981 National Sports Festival.
