Coal Creek Conversations: A Sit-Down with Coach Joey Clayton

Champ Jackson - Saturday Night Chronicles

The crisp morning air in Laramie carries the unmistakable scent of freshly brewed coffee, and Coal Creek Coffee Company is alive with locals fueling up for the day. It’s the kind of place where you instantly feel the heart of the community, and no one embodies that spirit quite like Coach Joey Clayton. As I make my way to our table, it’s clear Coach Joey is a local legend—customers greet him like an old friend, and the staff knows his order by heart. I’ve traveled to Wyoming to catch up with the coach before the Cowboys hit the road for their upcoming showdown against Wisconsin. Despite the busy morning—sandwiched between a weight room session and on-field practice—Coach Clayton graciously carves out time for a chat over breakfast.

Just as I’m settling in, Coach Joey takes a sip of his coffee, leans back, and grins. “What’s up with this stat-padding bullshit?” he asks, his voice cutting through the hum of the café like a well-placed tackle. And with that, we dive into our conversation.

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SNC: How do you respond to members of the media saying you and Wyoming are all sizzle and no steak? Just stat-padding bitchez?

Coach Joey: After hearing what the great guys over at Jibber Jabber had to say, I can’t help but think they might be fighting for clicks.

Everyone and their mom wants to start a podcast these days. Can’t blame them for starting a false narrative to try to draw attention to their show. They seem like great guys even though they might not know ball. Respectfully, of course.

Over at Wyoming, we will play until the clock hits 0. We won’t take plays off just because we are winning or because it rubs some people the wrong way. We will continue to play our game. And if that means we throw for 3,000 yards in one game, so be it.

SNC: Is that the next goal? Throw for 3,000 yards in one game?

People are asking if you actually care about the game or if you’re just trying to get your name in the record books. Because Wyoming isn’t going to be remembered otherwise. Again, what I’m hearing—that isn’t from me.

But on the flip side of that, do you feel that your team is being wrongly viewed? To me, it seemed like you and the team were just operating at peak offensive efficiency. Is that how you view it?

Coach Joey: I didn’t say that was the goal, so let’s not try to headline-grab here. Do you work for Jibber Jabber or something?

I said if we end up throwing for 3,000 yards, so be it. We aren’t aiming to do it, but we also aren’t willing to take our foot off the pedal.

Also, people are so upset about Chris Durr. What an absolutely incredible kid this is. All he does is come in and work hard. He learned a lot (go routes) from Tyler King (former Heisman winner) while he was here, and he has been able to take that knowledge and apply it on the field (run fast and far). We have one of the fastest players to ever touch a football field, and they don’t want us to use him? These guys probably wish they could find those NCAA sliders and make everyone have the same speed to keep things “fair.”

As far as the record books, records are great. These are great kids who can look back on their time here and celebrate the incredible things they have done.

Speaking of not being remembered, who are you again? I think I might’ve read some stuff from you a couple of years ago, but I forgot your name. Everybody gets their college football info from podcasts these days. Get with the times, old man.

SNC: Whoa whoa whoa, Coach. We at SNC are trying to set the story straight with legit journalism, giving you the platform to speak your truth.

I know Tyler King continues to be a big part of your program. How has he helped the young guys, specifically Durr, handle all this negative press lately?

Coach Joey: Tyler King also received a lot of negative press while he was at Wyoming setting NCAA records. Chris has been able to talk to Tyler about handling the negativity. Thankfully, Chris is a great kid and has decided to respond with positivity. He plans to continue to go out there each week and play the best football he can.

Over at Wyoming, we will continue to fight and move forward in the face of this negativity. We will focus on ourselves and not what the outsiders think.

If we did care what the outsiders think, I’d probably tell OTC and Mr. Athens to STFU or I’ll break into their houses and kill them. Thankfully, we aren’t choosing that route.

SNC: Other than the speed of a Japanese bullet train, what has made your offense so successful? The altitude? The cold?

Because you’ve clearly found a great combination to be explosive and effective.

Coach Joey: I’d say right now it’s the very complex offense that we are running. This offense requires a very smart QB, and Deyon has made it look very easy. Trust me, this is a very complex and complicated offense. A lot going on each play, and Deyon has a lot to do each play to find the right read.

Because of him and his football IQ, this offense has taken off.

SNC: Ok, Coach, I really appreciate your time. Before we go, do you have any parting shots? This segment brought to you by Treaty Oak Distillery.

Coach Joey: Again, I’ll take the high road. There is no need for us to go after Jibber Jabber and call them a clickbait podcast. There is no need for us to say that OTC is jealous of what we are doing. There is no need for us to say Mr. Athens sounds just like a guy I knew from Katy named Khail Sharp.

What would I benefit from saying that they are at the bottom of the Apple Podcast ratings and need the help of Wyoming to build their podcast? The other day, I was looking for them on the charts and had to scroll for an hour before I found them. Those things wouldn’t be beneficial, so I’m not going to say them!

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To close, I’ll say that Wyoming is genuinely confused by the stat-padding accusations. We don’t think it makes any sense but will continue to take the high road and move forward. Go Pokes.

As the hum of Coal Creek Coffee Company fills the air, it’s clear that Coach Joey Clayton isn’t just a football coach—he’s a fierce advocate for his players and a pillar of this community.

One thing is certain: Wyoming’s offense isn’t just making noise—it’s rewriting the playbook for what’s possible in college football. Sure, opposing teams may trot out 11 players on defense, but against Wyoming, it feels like they’re playing a man down. The Cowboys’ relentless pace and precision turn every defensive scheme into an exercise in futility, leaving opponents scrambling to keep up.

Wyoming is on a mission, and if their high-octane offense keeps firing on all cylinders, the rest of the college football world will have no choice but to take notice—or get out of the way.