I've never been the patient type. When I suggest to someone that we go for fast food, I find the "fast" more appealing than the food. I order fast, eat fast and leave fast. Likewise, waiting at stoplights gives me a rash. I won't even mention what irrational things go through my mind when I'm in a checkout line.

So it's not surprising to realize I'm already considering this football season the one that will tell us right now which school, Utah or BYU, ended up with the best coach.

These first two years have mostly been a dress rehearsal.

This year, let the comparisons begin.

Coaches, of course, hate this stuff. They like newspaper comparisons as much as a soggy playing field. And while it may seem premature to even be talking about this, in just their third seasons, this is actually the perfect time. Not too soon, not too late. Both BYU's Bronco Mendenhall and Utah's Kyle Whittingham have lost starters for the season due to injury. Both are still in the shadows of coaching giants, Mendenhall following the incomparable LaVell Edwards (two coaches ago) and Whittingham following the rock star-famous Urban Meyer.

Each has defeated the other on his rival's home field.

And each is entering the season with his best player from 2006 in the NFL. Utah is missing Eric Weddle, last year's top defensive player in the Mountain West Conference, and BYU is without quarterback John Beck, the league's offensive player of the year.

So as Season 3 begins for both coaches, may they touch gloves and come out swinging.

Both have something to prove. Whittingham, whose two-year coaching record is 15-10, hasn't won a championship and, honestly, hasn't come close. The Utes finished in a tie for fourth place in 2005, a tie for third last year. That's the sort of record that got Ron McBride (13-10 in his last two seasons) fired.

Meanwhile, Mendenhall had a great season last year, going 8-0 in conference and 11-2 overall. But his two-year 17-8 mark is virtually identical to Gary Crowton (17-9).

Whittingham is 2-0 in bowl games, Mendenhall 1-1.

Things started off roughly for BYU this year, at least in the sense that two starters — nose tackle Russell Tialavea and safety Dustin Gabriel — were sidelined for the season with injuries. Utah's all-conference offensive tackle Jason Boone also went down for the count.

BYU has one of the country's better offensive lines, while Utah has back a dangerous, experienced corps of receivers. Utah has former starter Brian Johnson at quarterback, while BYU has hotshot receiver Austin Collie back from an LDS mission.

BYU is picked to finish second in the Mountain West, Utah third. BYU lost almost all of its team leadership, but Utah has a death-defying nonconference schedule (Oregon State, Louisville, UCLA) and road games at TCU and BYU.

Adding to the intrigue of the Bronco-Kyle rivalry, there's this: These are two serious men. You've heard of laugh-a-minute coaches like former Michigan State coach John L. Smith. Not these guys. They laugh once every calendar year — and only if they can squeeze it in between film sessions.

Every coach likes to think he's competitive, but these guys are off the charts. Mendenhall became so preoccupied as an assistant coach that he once left his car at school for months, forgetting where he put it and reporting it stolen. Whittingham, well, what car? It's doubtful he could tell you the year, make, model or even color of what he drives.

Whether they like it or not, Mendenhall and Whittingham will always be compared — as long as they keep their current jobs. That's because in December 2004, Meyer moved to Florida, vacating the Ute position, and BYU fired Crowton. There was a noisy recruiting war for Whittingham, which ended with him staying at Utah and landing what was then the top salary in the league. BYU ended up elevating Mendenhall to head coach, and two years later he won a championship. That earned him a contract extension and a raise this month.

Truth is, money doesn't seem to mean a lot to either of them.

Mendenhall says he still plans to eat Top Ramen for lunch, and Whittingham stayed in the same house he was in as an assistant until three months ago. Even then he only moved three blocks west.

View Comments

Neither coach looks comfortable in anything that doesn't have a team logo on it.

Whittingham had a better season in '05, Mendenhall clearly won out last year.

Too early for comparisons? Please. As far as I'm concerned, this is one big beauty pageant.


E-mail: rock@desnews.com

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.