10 reasons Mendenhall is still the right guy at BYU


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

PROVO — Entering his 10th season as the leader of the BYU football team, here are my top 10 reasons (in no particular order) why coach Bronco Mendenhall is still the right guy for the job.

1. His record through nine seasons is better than Edwards’

In Mendenhall’s first nine seasons, he has accumulated a record of 82-31 compared to coach LaVell Edwards’ 75-31-1 mark through his first nine seasons. In that span, Mendenhall has had five seasons with at least 10 wins. During Edwards’ first nine years, the Cougars registered two seasons with at least 10 wins. In the following five seasons after Edwards’ ninth season, the Cougars ripped off four seasons with at least 10 victories and won a national championship. Is the same pattern in the cards for Mendenhall? There are some indicators that this may be the case, which leads to number two.

2. He finally has a quarterback

As was the case under Edwards, BYU football only goes as far as its quarterback will take them. During Mendenhall’s first five years, the Cougars got strong play out of the quarterback, and double-digit win seasons followed. The past four years have seen a dearth of quality quarterback play, but it appears that the team has struck gold with a potentially great quarterback in Taysom Hill, which leads to number three.

3. The next few seasons could be magical

Many indicators point to the Cougars having a terrific 2014 season. They finally have a talented quarterback, they return most of their starters on offense and the schedule is set up to have a nice run. If Hill can become a consistent passer, all games in 2014 are winnable. 2015 is another beast, however, with a brutal schedule that an experienced BYU team will navigate. If the Cougars can win some major tests in 2015, the season could have national implications.

Related:

4. He’s been loyal

After posting four consecutive double-digit win seasons in a row, there were numerous suitors vying for Mendenhall’s attention. Some of those suitors were legitimate teams from big conferences. Similarly to Edwards, Mendenhall stayed loyal to BYU. His loyalty to the university and the program should buy him some leeway as he attempts to take the program to the next level.

5. He’s still getting good recruits

While the last two seasons have not yielded terrific results, Mendenhall has improved as a recruiter. This season, BYU football will benefit from a host of talented and athletic players that Mendenhall and his staff brought from all sorts of locations. If recruiting is the lifeblood of sustaining any program, then the Cougars appear to be in good hands.

6. His 'bad' years haven’t been that bad

In nine seasons as head coach of BYU, Mendenhall has yet to have a losing season. That is no small task as he took over a team that had three consecutive losing seasons. If coach Gary Crowton accomplished nothing else in his four-year tenure at the Y., he succeeded in proving that it is not easy to win in Provo.

7. He’s been solid in bowl games

In Provo and the state at large, Edwards is rightfully a legend and always will be. If there was one legitimate knock on him, however, it was that his teams struggled to win bowl games. During Edwards’ terrific career, BYU went a meager 7-14-1 during bowl games. In just nine seasons at the helm, Mendenhall has already won six bowl games and only lost three.

8. He embraces the Honor Code and the mission of BYU

During his four years at the Y., Crowton often spoke about the inherent difficulties of fielding a team with so much turnover due to two-year missions and about the restrictive nature of the Honor Code. In contrast, Mendenhall has fully embraced the Honor Code and the unique nature of BYU. In fact, the only debate about Mendenhall and the mission of BYU is whether he overly embraces it.

9. He’s established a top-tier defense

While Mendenhall will no longer be the defensive coordinator, it is safe to say that the defense will continue to have his fingerprints all over it. Throughout his time at the Y., Mendenhall has rightfully earned the reputation of being a defensive whiz. With a lot of talent returning on the defensive side of the ball, 2014 figures to be another good year for the defense.

10. There’s nobody else to take his place

Many hardcore Cougar fans have called for the ousting of Mendenhall. However, when asked who can fill his place, these same fans cannot produce a single realistic name (Coach Reid isn’t about to leave his cushy gig in the NFL, and Ty Detmer seems to be enjoying his life right now). There is not one candidate that meets all of the strict necessities to be the head honcho at the Y. who has anywhere near the credentials that Mendenhall has.

Sound off, Cougar Nation. What do you think about this list?


Dylan Cannon is a regular KSL.com sports contributor and can be reached via Twitter @DylanCannon11 or by email at dylancannon86@gmail.com.

Related stories

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsBYU Cougars

ARE YOU GAME?

From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast