PROVO — After BYU football players Terrance Hooks and Vic So'oto spent Easter weekend in the Utah County jail for allegedly kicking down doors in a water balloon incident at an Orem apartment, their coach, Bronco Mendenhall, called the situation a "program failure" and placed the responsibility at his own feet.
Mendenhall suspended Hooks and So'oto on Sunday. The two players were released from jail Monday on charges of burglary after forcibly entering an apartment to face two men who allegedly hit Hooks' girlfriend with a water balloon about 1 a.m. Saturday following a parking lot dance party.
The BYU coach told his team Monday that the Hooks/So'oto case was cause for pause for everyone in a Cougar uniform.
"What I presented to the team is that when anyone in our team fails, it's reflective on all of us and I take the most responsibility," Mendenhall told reporters after Tuesday's practice as he explained his ways and means of dealing with such incidents.
When asked if he thought his suspension of the two players before any conviction or action by the university sent a public message, Mendenhall said he wasn't sure.
"The simple premise is, I'm acting fast and accurately," he said. "I am responsible for these young men. I'm responsible basically for their motivation, I'm responsible for their teaching and I'm responsible for their agency. I view the actions of these young men as a program failure, which is reflective on me. I need to arm them with the knowledge base, the motivation and the education to be consistent regardless of circumstance."
BYU hired Mendenhall at the end of 2004 after scandal rocked the previous coaching staff.
Mendenhall said he believes in swift and open discipline when players err.
"When I do act, first and foremost, I don't hesitate," he said. "There are no secrets. I usually alert the media first. What I care most about is that it is handled fairly, appropriately and as fast as possible. And my hope is that the institution has acknowledgement that it is a pretty uncommon practice. But I'm not concerned with perception. I'm concerned with doing what's right."
Mendenhall said he doesn't have quid pro quo discipline and penalties for misconduct of his players.
"I treat each one differently, based on just the principle of fairness and accountability and do it independently of what the university or the court might do," he said. "I trust my players. They've been taught to tell the truth, so when they come in and tell me exactly what's happened, I don't feel like I have to wait and hear what someone else says they did before I choose what to do. All I've done so far is suspend them. I will meet with them next Monday to determine how long the suspension will be. I just need time to think about what is appropriate. That will be independent of what others might do with discipline."
Mendenhall said scrutiny of BYU by the public absolutely has an effect on how he handles players who disobey rules or the law.
"The players know the representation issues are different here than anywhere in the country," he said. "They've been asked to embrace that, not view it as a burden but a responsibility and an opportunity. This merely gives another chance to review that actions by any one in our program reflect on all of us whether on or off the field, and often the visibility is equal if not more off the field.
"I expect them to embrace those standards. This has been a valuable moment for our team to move forward, not backwards, in relation to a teachable moment. I love both the players involved and I believe they have acted exemplary as they have represented themselves to me, and I'm anxious to get them back as soon as possible."
It is no secret the forced resignation of his predecessor, Gary Crowton, came after player conduct brought negative attention to BYU football and the university.
But Mendenhall said when he was hired, nobody told him it was a key element of his job to keep his players from negative headlines.
"They didn't make that a priority at all," said Mendenhall of his job interviews with BYU's administration and a general authority of the LDS Church. "But I made it clear to our team it was my priority. I made it an issue. We are the most visible part of the institution, which is owned by the church, and (making it an issue) came from a faith-based nature of my own beliefs.
"I was never told that, but I saw the damage done. My hope is that the accountability will be there for what has been done, and that is all I can ask for."
The absence of Hooks, a reserve middle linebacker, grew more complicated for the team Monday when another inside linebacker, Shawn Doman, hurt his foot.
"We had planned another practice in pads and we'll have to adjust that," Mendenhall said. "My hope is to field a scrimmage on Saturday that might be shorter, some 50 plays. I think we've got a lot accomplished this spring."
Mendenhall said between 20 and 30 players on the roster will be held out of Saturday's Blue-White game, some due to injuries incurred last season, others who were injured this spring and others who don't need the exposure to prove themselves.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com