Bronco Mendenhall warmly welcomed back to Provo as No. 17 BYU shows it's moved on

Virginia Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall walks off the field as fans cheer for him and thank him as BYU defeats Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. BYU won 66-49. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)


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PROVO — Known for his stern emotions, military-like persona and an emotionless scowl that rivaled anyone but the legendary college football coach who came before him at BYU, Bronco Mendenhall had a visibly emotional reaction when he made his first trip to LaVell Edwards Stadium six years after departing for "the mission field" of Charlottesville, Virginia, to be head coach of the Cavaliers and leader of Wahoo Nation.

But look closely at the former BYU coach of 13 seasons as he walked into the stadium, and you'll see the cracks emerging upon the embrace of a fan base that meant so much to him during his dozen years in Provo.

From the stadium worker who presented Mendenhall with a lei to another who greeted him with "Welcome home, Coach" — the same greeting he offered to offensive coordinator Robert Anae, and defensive coordinators Nick Howell and Kelly Poppinga, among the 10 other UVA staff members who ventured back to Provo on Saturday night — to the roar of the crowd every time he entered the field during pregame preparations, Mendenhall's face remained stoic.

But his emotions were clearly bubbling under the surface.

Mendenhall's Cavs lost a shootout to BYU, 66-49 Saturday night, the third loss of the 2021 season that allowed at least 39 points, including two giving up 59 plus.

But beyond the potential rib injury to quarterback Brennan Armstrong and what the 6-3 Cavaliers can look forward to in a season where the recent Coastal division champions are now 1.5 games behind Pitt for the division lead, Saturday's trip to Provo provided something else for Mendenhall and his staff.

Closure.

This is Kalani Sitake's team, as if there were ever any doubt before the Cougars climbed to 7-2 and No. 17 in the latest Associated Press Top 25. And while the Mendenhall era will always be embraced and the coach forever loved by the majority of the fan base for what he did at BYU, it's time to move on — much like Mendenhall himself said six years ago when he sat next to athletic director Tom Holmoe to announce his departure for Virginia.

"I'm grateful for and thankful for the personal reception with my return to BYU and for the fans and that acknowledgement," said Mendenhall, whose team has a well-timed bye week before facing Notre Dame on Saturday, Nov. 13. "I'm grateful and appreciative. BYU has a good football team, and I'm excited for their future. I'm also excited about ours', based on what is happening in the Coastal Division. We control our destiny."

Saturday wasn't just a chance for closure for Mendenhall — he moved on well before the weekend. Division titles, taking nationally renowned Clemson to the brink, an Orange Bowl berth, and a $4.2 million annual salary (according to the USA Today coaches' salary database) will do that for a lot of people.

But in Mendenhall's stunning departure that ended with a loss to rival Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl, few fans had the chance to send the tenured coach off in the manner he deserved.

Make no mistake; BYU needed Bronco Mendenhall more than the American Fork High graduate needed BYU when he was named Gary Crowton's defensive coordinator in 2003.

Mendenhall was promoted to head coach of a BYU program two years later mired in scandal both on and off the field, and the sometimes-quirky, always-effective tactician restored pride to his father's alma mater.

Virginia Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall high-fives fans as he enters the stadium as BYU and Virginia prepare to play at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021.
Virginia Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall high-fives fans as he enters the stadium as BYU and Virginia prepare to play at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

The Cougars went to a bowl game every year under Mendenhall, including six Las Vegas Bowl berths with two Mountain West championships. He finished 99-43 in 11 seasons as head coach, a good chunk of the 600 program wins that BYU capped off Saturday night with its fifth victory over a Power Five opponent — the first such season in program history.

Mendenhall made BYU good again.

Sitake has made the Cougars cool again.

"Bronco was awesome, before and after the game," Sitake said after the win. "I know he has a lot of love and appreciation for this place. I'm really happy that the fans showed him the love and the warm welcome that he deserves.

"I know it meant a lot to him. It meant a lot to me, and it means a lot to that staff. And it was a great game; defensive coaches don't like this game, but it felt like an old-school BYU type of game."

Mendenhall is 36-35 in six seasons since departing for Virginia, a run that includes his 2-10 inaugural campaign in 2016. But all coaches go through growing pains in a new job — remember Sitake's second season of 2017, when BYU went 4-9 before firing Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer and most of the offensive staff?

Sitake has moved past that season, much like Mendenhall has turned Virginia from an also-ran into a contender in the ACC's "other division" opposite Clemson, Florida State and current ACC leaders Wake Forest.

And BYU has likewise moved to its next level post-Mendenhall. That was evident when the Cougars posted their 12th all-time game with 700 or more offensive yards and fourth in school history with at least 300 passing yards and 300 rushing. Tyler Allgeier ran for five touchdowns, becoming only the second Cougar in program history to reach the mark in a single season while climbing to No. 8 all-time with 2,518 career rushing yards.

The 1,297 combined yardage by both teams was the most in a single game in the history of LaVell Edwards Stadium, topping the 1,278 set against Toledo in 2016 (BYU won that game 55-53 in overtime behind another five-touchdown performance from Jamaal Williams).

BYU got into a shootout with Virginia, the No. 4 offense in the country directed by Anae and the top-rated passer in Armstrong. On Saturday night, Anae's offense went fast and went hard, totaling 49 points, 588 yards, 9.2 yards per play over 64 touches and 28 first downs.

But the Cavaliers only scored one second-half touchdown, an incredible recovery by a BYU defense that was lit up for 35 points in the second quarter.

For as much credit as Mendenhall deserves for his time at BYU, so too does Sitake and defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki, who surpassed Howell, the former coach at Ogden's Ben Lomond High with a sub-.500 record who continues to oversee Mendenhall's defense with a hand from former BYU outside linebackers coach Poppinga. For all the gripes of a defense that allowed more than 500 yards and 49 points, Tuiaki's bend-don't-break defense only gave up one second-half touchdown and won the turnover battle 3-0.

Mendenhall will be fine on the east coast. Back home, so will BYU.

"It was a unique experience to have spent 13 years at one place and then come back," Mendenhall said. "I'm grateful to have been the coach here. BYU's a really unique place. Who you can select as the head coach is a really small sliver of the world's population. I was given the chance to learn, grow and develop and lead an amazing program.

"I'm grateful to have been acknowledged. I'm thankful for where I am now."

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