Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico: Meet The 2024 New Head Coaches
2024 New College Football Head Coaches
Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico
Nov 20, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Heinz Field.
© Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Previous Life: A defensive back at Oregon State and later an assistant coach, he move on to become the defensive coordinator at Snow College and later at Northern Arizona. … Became the defensive coordinator at Oregon State in 1996. … Bounced around a bit, working as a defensive coach at Louisiana Tech and New Mexico to make it seven jobs in ten seasons, settling in as the BYU DC. … Took over the BYU head coaching job in 2005, went 99-43 in 11 years; went to a bowl game all 11 seasons. … Left for Virginia in 2016; went 36-38.
Top Line of the Resumé: Went 22-4 in 2006-2007 at BYU with two top 15 finishes. Was the 2006 Mountain West Coach of the Year.
Realistic Year One Expectations: Win five games. There are too many road games, too many tough dates, and it’ll be a fight to be the favorite against anyone other than Montana State and New Mexico State - and the date with the Aggies is down the road. For a program that hasn’t won more than four games since 2016, getting to five matters.
Realistic Expectations Over The Next Five Years: Come up with an overall change in production, especially defensively. Get to a bowl game in two of the next four years, have one big season and be in the mix for the Mountain West title, and …
What Will Happen? New Mexico has just three winning seasons since 2006 and none since 2016. Mendenhall will turn that around in three years before leaving for another gig - he’ll only be 58 when the season starts. It is possible to win at New Mexico, and Mendenhall will show it.
