PROVO — Though BYU finished the season with two difficult losses and placed third in the Mountain West Conference, don't expect major changes in the program going into the 2009 season.
Not that coach Bronco Mendenhall is satisfied with the way things went for his team, but he believes the foundation of the program remains strong, he said in an interview Thursday with the Deseret News.
After a year that saw Mountain West Conference rivals Utah and TCU — both of which will end up in the top 10 of the final rankings — surpass the two-time defending champion Cougars, Mendenhall knows there's work to be done.
"It's really just improvement," he said. "The idea of drastic or radical changes, anything like that, is not who we are. It's simply a matter of getting better in every facet. At this point of the year, that's really all I can say."
While BYU posted a 10-3 record in 2008, and is 32-7 over the past three years combined, Mendenhall understands the prevailing feeling of disappointment among many fans, especially in comparison to what the Utes accomplished — an undefeated season, a berth in the BCS and a dominating victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
"Now the idea simply is, (going 10-3) is not enough. We're saying that internally. We don't have to hear it from anybody else. Our goals and expectations are higher than any from the outside," Mendenhall said.
"This has always been about our personal best and always about improvement and moving the program forward, which I believe we did again this year. I believe the teams we lost to this year were the best teams we've lost to since I've been the coach.
"Can we improve? No question. Are there areas to emphasize? Certainly," he said. "But the numbers certainly say, and the consistency certainly says, that of the 119 Division I football programs, it's one of the nation's best. That is what our goal was to begin with. To sustain greatness is through conference championships. That's the bottom line."
Classes at BYU resumed Monday, and Mendenhall met with his players that day for a meeting.
"They're determined," he said, describing their overall mood.
Every year since he became the head coach prior to the 2005 season, Mendenhall has created a theme for the upcoming year, such as "Band of Brothers," "Raise the Bar" and "Quest for Perfection."
But the coach doesn't anticipate a new slogan for 2009.
"My sentiment now is, there's nothing left to say. All the things we've said equal BYU football. From this point on, that's all that will be said. Not that we can't grow and improve, but I think all those things I've tried to educate so thoroughly why and who we are that it really defines our program," Mendenhall said.
"We do want to raise the bar on a continual basis. We are after perfection in our lives. We do want to be bound together like brothers. So I'm not sure there will be a need for another theme for a campaign, so to speak. There will be constant reinforcement of those themes within the program to the players."
Here are a variety of other topics Mendenhall addressed:
• Manase Tonga's status: Tonga, a running back who was ruled academically ineligible last summer and was sidelined for the 2008 season, is currently taking a full load of courses at Utah Valley University.
"If he passes those courses and does well, he'll return to our program in the spring," Mendenhall said.
• Returning missionaries: Wide receiver McKay Jacobson, who turned in an impressive freshman season in 2006, is one of four returned missionaries who rejoined the program this month.
"McKay is so eager to be back and anxious to participate," Mendenhall said. "He wants to contribute."
Other returned missionaries who are back in the program are tight end Mike Muehlmann, offensive lineman Braden Hansen and Malosi Te'o, a running back from Hawaii who originally signed with UNLV out of high school.
During the summer, another wave of missionaries will return, including defensive back Robbie Bucker, running back Mike Hague, defensive lineman Romney Fuga, offensive linemen Houston Reynolds and Famika Anae, and wide receiver Marcus Matthews.
• Defensive perspective: The Cougars struggled with spread offenses directed by accurate quarterbacks this season. While Mendenhall acknowledged there must be improvement, he said there are no plans to alter the defensive scheme.
"The biggest change that needs to happen is simply the level of preparation that a given team puts in to execute at critical moments," he said.
"The biggest difference between (the Cougars' 2007 defense and their 2008 defense) goes back to the same point — simply execution. Can there be places on the defense that can be more athletic or need personnel upgrades? There are some of those. The biggest difference in general, though, is the execution of the defense, with every player doing exactly what they're supposed to do at the very highest level they can do it. That's through preparation and then the responsibility shifts to do what they're supposed to do in those critical moments."
A year ago, Mendenhall announced Jaime Hill's promotion to defensive coordinator, though Mendenhall continued calling the defensive plays.
That arrangement will be evaluated and addressed during the off-season. "It's a work in progress. As the program continues to grow and shift, and responsibilities grow and shift, there are lessons to be learned that way as well," Mendenhall said. "As I become more engrossed in other things the head coach is doing, each individual grows within their given assignment."
• Coaching staff: Mendenhall said it's too soon to know if he'll be losing assistant coaches to other programs.
"It's hard to predict when you've had the success that we've had, your coaches are sought-after," he said. "We'll just have to wait and see on that. It's just a matter of time before it will change."
He added that there are assistants who are looking at other opportunities or are being pursued by other schools.
"I asked them to tell me and be up front when those opportunities happen. I know that's going on in some cases," Mendenhall said. "It will probably happen more with the national convention coming up (next week) and other jobs shifting."
• Recruiting: This weekend, BYU welcomes a group of recruits for their official campus visits, including highly regarded linebacker Manti Te'o. Mendenhall said the Cougars will sign a class that consists of about 25 players in February.
"The class is exceptional, not only in terms of talent and athleticism, but also the quality of people," he said. "That's what we're looking to improve every year."
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com