Perhaps it was two years away from the game, two years spent creating and living on his rural ranch with his wife and fellow empty nester Holly, or simply the pure Montana air.
Whatever it was, Bronco Mendenhall discovered a clear image of himself after the former BYU and Virginia head coach retired from collegiate football.
He discovered that he still had lots to give.
Mendenhall was not done, according to the first-year New Mexico head coach during Mountain West media days.
His conclusion was as plain as the Montana air, and it was backed up by the number of text messages he received from former players, all of whom talked about moments and connections rather than seasons or results.
“There is something about Montana that I’d recommend to all of you,” he said with laughter. “That does not imply you may stay at my house, but you are welcome to come and visit. They call Montana ‘the last best place,’ and I believe that distance brings clarity, and I’m clear about what I want to accomplish, why I want to do it, and where. Montana helped me realize that sometimes we take ourselves too seriously in college football.
Mendenhall missed coaching, but he will also tell you about things he did not miss. He did not overlook the “financial component,” which has grown to include the name, image, and likeness rights of his players, which consume a substantial portion of his time.
He admits to having spent more time in “financial management” in his six months at New Mexico than he did at BYU and Virginia combined.
But he missed a lot, most of all his players and coaches, as he worked hard in the scorching offseason heat to prepare for a breakout year that was always one slip away, or so it seemed.
Yes, he missed football. He mostly missed people.
“I missed the relationships,” Mendenhall explained. “I missed the chance to counsel, mentor, guide and influence their choices.”
Mendenhall is a builder, and not just of football programs; he led BYU from a string of poor seasons to a bowl game in his first year, in 2002. In his second season at Virginia, he led the Cavaliers to their first bowl game in six years, after four consecutive losing seasons.
By 2019, he had led Virginia to a 9-3 record and the ACC Coastal Division title with a 6-2 conference record, defeating Virginia Tech at home for the first time in 15 years en way to an Orange Bowl berth as ACC champion Clemson proceeded to the College Football Playoffs.
Before retiring before the end of the 2021 season, Mendenhall’s teams were bowl eligible 16 times in 17 years. His culture emphasizes victory.
“He’s a big culture guy,” said New Mexico defensive end Gabe Lopez, who transferred from Washington State to Las Vegas. “I believe that was the first thing he addressed. He wanted to address the culture first. And he’s demonstrated how culture leads to championships.”
The Lobos are a long way from a championship and have not played in a bowl game since 2016. However, Mendenhall will maintain high expectations for his players, even if he is realistic about the program’s current status.
“The main thing was he was brutally honest that we didn’t need everyone,” said wide receiver Luke Wyson, a Rio Rancho, New Mexico native, on his first meeting with the former BYU coach. “We had some people leave and go other places or foresee other opportunities, but he told us that it’s going to be grueling, hard, difficult, and it’s going to challenge us mentally, physically, emotionally and more.”
Mendenhall is also a mentor to young guys, some of whom go on to play in the NFL and many more who pursue other vocations. He cares for his players, including the 60 new ones he’s brought in since accepting the job, and not just on the football field.
“The life lessons he’s been teaching us is stuff that hasn’t been talked about much in the football room,” Lopez informed the crowd. “Most people care about winning, but he clearly cares about people. “He wants us to succeed outside of football.”
He achieved success by developing men. He was the sixth most successful active FBS head coach with 135 victories before guiding a game at Albuquerque. His.813 winning % in Mountain West games at BYU is eighth in conference history.
Those victories helped him establish a name, so it was no surprise that when Virginia needed a coach in 2016, they turned to the Alpine-born Oregon State alum who had recently guided BYU out of the conference to what he described as “unstable” independence.
However, as he rose to the top of Virginia, he understood that climbing the success ladder was not always easy.
“Sometimes up the ladder is down the ladder,” he admitted openly in an interview session with fellow Latter-day Saint head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who was previously at Navy and is currently at San Jose State. “The outside world may interpret it as going up. However, you may be losing moral ground with your family and your ideals. Up is not always up.
“I believe this league has young up-and-coming coaches, just like when I became the head coach at BYU; I was young. And now we have some older, more experienced instructors who have seen the other side and enjoy where we are. I like that combination. It’s quite cool, and not typical.”
It’s no surprise that when New Mexico dismissed Danny Gonzales after four consecutive losing seasons and needed a builder, they looked to Rocky Long’s former defensive coordinator, who is entering a league that is vastly different from the one he faced more than a decade ago.
His first hires included former BYU quarterback Jason Beck as offensive coordinator and Nick Howell as defensive coordinator. He’s also hired Famika Anae to teach the offensive line, Jan Jorgensen as edge coach, Micah Simon as wide receivers coach, and Pat Hickman as chief of staff, giving the Lobos an intriguing BYU flavor in his return to Albuquerque.
“When I was in the Mountain West when it started with TCU, BYU and Utah, it was a great league — really tough,” said the sophomore. “When Utah and TCU departed and BYU became independent, there was a huge shift, but that hole was filled, and the Mountain West has been strong and steady for a long time.
“I think the league right now is the most stable,” said the coach. “I love the parity, I love the type of towns in the Mountain West, and it just feels more college football-ish to me.”
Many would argue that having Mendenhall in the Mountain West makes it feel more like college football.
