LOGAN, Utah, Dec. 7, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah native Bronco Mendenhall, who formerly served as head coach for the New Mexico Lobos, the Virginia Cavaliers and the BYU Cougars, will return to Utah to coach the USU Aggies.
Mendenhall will be Utah State University’s 31st football coach, and will sign a six-year contract, a statement from the university says. Mendenhall’s move allows him to be closer to his 93-year-old mother, Lenore, who lives in Alpine.
“Bronco is one of the most experienced coaches in college football. His leadership, proven track record, and deep understanding of the game make him the ideal choice to elevate our program,” said Diana Sabau, USU’s Vice President and Director, in a released statement.
USU President Elizabeth R. Cantwell also shared thoughts.
“Athletics is an important part of the Utah State University experience, and the success of our football program is at the forefront. The impact that a championship-level football program can have on the profile of the university, the student-body experience, with our alumni and in the Cache Valley community, is immeasurable. Bronco Mendenhall is absolutely right for this moment at USU and he will help propel us into a great future.”
Mendenhall has a 140-88 career record as a head coach, including taking Virginia to its first Orange Bowl in 2019. More than 60 of Mendenhall’s former players have signed contracts to play in the NFL.
“My passion is developing young people and transforming football programs to reach their full potential,” Mendenhall said. “Utah State provides a great opportunity to do both and allows a family focus that is essential to me and Holly. We look forward to adding to Utah State’s rich tradition and striving for football excellence.”
He was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2006 and was nominated by the Football Writers Association of America as one of the nine finalists for the illustrious Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
During BYU’s six-year tenure as a member of the Mountain West under Mendenhall, the team won two conference championships. He led the Cougars to a bowl game appearance in each of his 11 seasons as head coach and during that time, BYU was one of only 11 programs in all of the FBS to go to a bowl in all 11 years. Under Mendenhall, BYU tied for seventh among all FBS programs for the most Academic All-American awardees.
After leaving Provo, Mendenhall was hired as the head coach at Virginia in 2016. Taking over a struggling program that had not posted a winning record in five seasons, Mendenhall led a strong turnaround. The team made bowl games in three consecutive years beginning in 2017, and won the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division in 2019 with a 6-2 mark, playing Clemson for the ACC title.
Virginia was bowl eligible in his final five seasons, the longest streak in school history since 1996-2000.
After a two-year hiatus from coaching, Mendenhall returned to the Mountain West, taking over as head coach of New Mexico. In his lone season, the Lobos went 5-7, with two players being named first-team all-MW, and nine overall receiving all-conference honors. New Mexico ranked fourth in the FBS in total yards, averaging 484.2 per game.
Mendenhall graduated from American Fork High School. He began his collegiate playing career at Snow College, where he was an All-American and team captain during the team’s NJCAA National Championship season in 1985. From there, he played safety for Oregon State University, where he served as captain his senior season and later as a graduate assistant on the football staff. He would later coach as an assistant at Snow College, Northern Arizona, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico, and BYU.
