We have a good team and a really tough schedule. That’s a fantastic opportunity. – BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall
PROVO — Through his first 10 seasons as BYU’s head coach, Bronco Mendenhall has experienced an abundance of both highs and lows.
What does 2015 have in store?
Nobody knows for sure, but there’s no doubt that Mendenhall is looking forward to kicking off his 11th year at the helm when the Cougars visit Nebraska Saturday (1:30 p.m., MT, ABC).
“We have a good team and a really tough schedule. That’s a fantastic opportunity,” Mendenhall said. “We have a senior quarterback coming back that’s one of the best in the country ... Really good leadership on the defensive side with a proven system and a proven staff. If you say, ‘Are the people and system in place?’ I think they are. It could be a really fun year.”
After last season, which saw the Cougars record their third consecutive 8-5 campaign, Mendenhall decided to return to defensive play-calling responsibilities.
That’s something athletic director Tom Holmoe is happy to see.
"I expect Bronco Mendenhall to give everything he has. I am excited that he has made the decision to go back and be the defensive coordinator and call the plays,” he said in February. “I go downstairs to the football office almost every day and one of my favorite things to do is open up that defensive meeting room and see sparks fly. That’s something that we’ve needed. He’s going to bring that to us. That’s one aspect of him being the coach. I am looking forward to a year of him as defensive coordinator and head coach and what our football team can do in 2015."
Holmoe noted that having the same coach for a decade is an unusual thing these days.
"To have one coach for 10 years, that's pretty amazing. And the reason that that has happened is because we believe he has done some really good things for our program,” Holmoe said. “Over these last couple of years of independence, it has been harder on him. I ask him to do things, and that team to do things, that are not easy. And when we've struggled with our win-loss record, a lot of times issues rise to the surface that may have been in the program when we were winning a lot of games, 11 games. So it is a very difficult job that I feel Bronco has stood up to very well. He has made mistakes along the road, and he has done things, probably, that he wishes he could have had back. But this guy’s got a great outlook in moving forward. He’s a strong personality, and he’s got a great confidence in what he can do. And working together with him, I believe that we can reach the dreams that the two of us have.”
Mendenhall has been open about his desire for BYU to be part of a Power 5 conference. He knows that the one thing the Cougars can control is their play on the field. They’ll have a chance to make a national statement by playing high-profile opponents this fall.
Going into Year 11, has Mendenhall been any different this season so far?
“Bronco’s Bronco. In terms of how he coaches, it’s a style we’ve all been used to,” said quarterback Taysom Hill. “One major difference that I’ve been able to notice is, he’s giving more to us as players and as leaders of the team to let us do what we think is best. It’s been great to show that he trusts us from a leadership standpoint.”
Mendenhall agrees he’s given his players more leadership responsibilities.
“I think they’re qualified for it and handling it really well,” he explained. “The more they’re involved, the more ownership they can have. Their commitment is at a really high level. When you have Taysom at quarterback, that has a lot to do with it as well.”
When Mendenhall took over the program before the 2005 season, the Cougars had suffered three consecutive losing seasons.
Inside linebackers coach Paul Tidwell recalls how Mendenhall helped end that ignominious streak.
“One thing I remember when Bronco was hired is he said he would never get tired,” said Tidwell, who is one of two assistants who have been on Mendenhall’s staff for all 10 years. “He had a policy in place, a vision in mind. He had a very detailed plan. Then he instituted it. He was very detailed in what he wanted to do. He didn’t get tired. He just worked and worked. (Offensive coordinator) Robert (Anae) came in and did a really good job offensively … Players bought into his philosophies.”
Ten years later, Holmoe looks back on what Mendenhall has accomplished, including two Mountain West Conference championships, 10 straight bowl appearances and 90 total wins.
He also realizes that BYU supporters are all about the here and now.
“Tomorrow’s a new day. Those 10 years don’t matter much to the fans,” Holmoe said. “They want to (say) ‘What have you done for me lately?’ That’s what Bronco … and me and Taysom, and I could say other names on the football team, that’s what we’re working on. That inspires me. I love that.”