LARAMIE - Call it a final plea.

Or the beginning of the end.

The University of Wyoming hasn't reached an absolute decision regarding Joe Glenn's fate yet, but multiple sources confirmed the sixth-year head football coach met with athletics director Tom Burman on Thursday to discuss the future of the program.

That means either forming an exit strategy for the weekend or weighing the pros and cons of keeping the endearing head man around for another season - or more.

Burman will continue that discussion with UW President Tom Buchanan at a meeting possibly as early as Saturday night, just hours after the annual rivalry game against Colorado State.

Thursday's chat reportedly only took 14 minutes, and though Glenn and members of the coaching staff declined to comment, there at least seemed to be a glimmer of optimism in the Indoor Practice Facility during a walk-through for the Border War.

The group certainly isn't in a strong bargaining position after dropping five games in a row in blowout fashion. The losses came during a season that was expected to produce a bowl bid at a minimum. The Cowboys enter Saturday's finale with a 4-7 record.

But if Glenn was indeed asked to assess the state of the program and offer evidence of improvement for the Burman-Buchanan meeting, the Cowboys think they have some positives to present.

Assuming they close out the regular season with a win over Colorado State and claim the Bronze Boot, the Cowboys will have won three of their last four with a freshman quarterback at the helm, including a monumental upset at Tennessee.

The defense continues to be rated among the best in the nation, and if the flood of turnovers would remain dammed, the nation's lowest-scoring offense has at least looked more creative down the stretch.

Those issues might not make much of a difference anyway, and Glenn has acknowledged publicly on several occasions the expectations placed on him to return the Cowboys to the postseason this year.

At times he spoke almost wistfully about his career in Laramie as the season progressed, and even reflected on it in the past tense during a league teleconference on Tuesday.

"It's been a great six years, if you're asking me about the time since I've been here," Glenn said. "There's been some great wins and some great people and just high times for me in my life to have played in a Division I bowl game and to have played at places the likes of Tennessee and Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Virginia, some of those places - it has been really sensational."

It likely hasn't been sensational enough in the record book, but the book hasn't been closed completely on Glenn yet.

Glenn's future is believed to be in Burman's hands, but it will reportedly be discussed with Buchanan first - a meeting Glenn supposedly asked to be a part of.

That should be followed with a Sunday review for Glenn with the athletic director, which could put an end to months of speculation.

"It's been great," Glenn said. "I would have to place the people and the players that I have worked with, that I know around this state, as probably the highlight of the past six years."

There could still be at least one more.

Contact sports reporter at Austin Ward at (307) 266-0634 or austin.ward@trib.com

Joe Glenn's record at UW

Overall Conference

2003 4-8 2-5

2004 7-5 3-4

2005 4-7 2-6

2006 6-6 5-3

2007 5-7 2-6

z-2008 4-7 1-6

Aug-Sept. Oct-Nov

2003 1-4 3-5

2004 2-1 5-4

2005 3-1 1-6

2006 1-4 5-2

2007 3-1 2-6

z-2008 2-3 2-4

z-entering Saturday's game

Cowboys Tracker

SATURDAY: Colorado State at Wyoming, noon.

RECORDS: Rams (5-6, 3-4 Mountain West Conference); Cowboys (4-7, 1-6 MWC).

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: UW coach Joe Glenn reportedly met with athletic director Tom Burman briefly on Thursday afternoon to discuss the future of the program.

NUMBERS GAME: Glenn is 2-0 at home in the Border War, winning in his first try in 2003 and claiming the Bronze Boot again two years ago.

HE SAID IT: "It's been a great six years, if you're asking me about the time since I've been here." - Glenn.