Las Vegas • Eight miles down the road from the Big 12 media circus inside Allegiant Stadium, Bronco Mendenhall settled into a cozy backroom of an empty casino that was much more his speed.
Mendenhall had danced in the Power Four circles before — chasing a job at Virginia from BYU back in 2015. He’d seen the opulent media days like the one the Big 12 put on in Vegas — a show that felt more like a tech company’s sales pitch than a college football showcase, as commissioner Brett Yormark addressed hundreds of people on a 40-yard stage with a wireless mic and unveiled commercials on a massive video board.
But Mendenhall left all of that back in 2021. He escaped to a ranch in Montana, trying to physically and metaphorically get away from the self-serious world of Power Four football.
When he decided to return to coaching, he purposefully shunned power jobs. Instead, he chose New Mexico and the Mountain West for his next destination. He thought it fit him, fit his values.
So when he looked around at Mountain West media day — a scaled-down version of the Big 12, just off the Vegas Strip in a ballroom — he knew he made the right choice.
“Sometimes up the ladder [to the Power Four] is down the ladder,” he said. “It might be perceived by the outside world that you are going up. But possibly morally, or for your family, your values, you are going down. Up isn’t always up by perceptions.”
This is the version of Mendenhall that is taking over in Albuquerque. He is introspective and looking for some sustainability. That goes for his own life, but also in football. They go hand in hand, he believes.
He sees how the power conferences are chasing money, and programs from major markets. He prefers the Mountain West now. He’ll visit schools in smaller cities, where a college football Saturday is less a massive event and more a community gathering. He won’t have the fear of conference realignment ruling over his job.
“I love the parity. I love the towns in the league. I think it feels more true college-ish to me, in my idealism. So I like it,” he said. “I think this league is, if not the most, one of the most stable at any level. ... I love seeing communities become alive and vibrant and I think college football is a way to do that.”
In his day-to-day, he’s surrounded himself with people he’s familiar with. He hired players who played for him at BYU, like former defensive end Jan Jorgensen. Both his coordinators have BYU ties. He finished making his staff in six hours after he got the job. He was staying within the family, the way he wanted it.
“I don’t have time for on-boarding, or convincing someone,” he said. “This is the way we are going to do it. They played in my system. They’ve coached in my system. They know me intimately and vice versa. We’re loyal. We’re not perfect. But I love seeing them every day.”
Even his vision for college football has changed. He knows the national championship race will be dominated by the schools at the top — the type of programs he left at UVa and BYU. But he is convinced, for the well-being of the sport, that a conference like the Mountain West has to succeed. He thinks if a Group of Five team wins a playoff game, or even a title, it could be healthy for everyone to take a step back.
“I would love, with a 12-team playoff, to have an underdog-ish team to get in and pull it off,” he said. “Is it possible? It has to be possible. There will be plenty who argue the other way. With resources, there is no chance. I don’t think so. I have to believe so. I think it would be great for college football. Maybe we might rebalance in some way. Might be a better version of college football.”
It’s what he saw in his own life when he left for Montana. He recalibrated, no longer chasing the spotlight.
“There is something about Montana that I recommend to all of you. That doesn’t mean you can stay at my place. But come visit. They call Montana the ‘Last Best Place.’ And I think I’ve just shared that with distance has come clarity,” he said.
In his new life in Albuquerque, he still wants to win. He believes he will have the Lobos back in the postseason by his season second. But he also wants to be part of the community.
He and his wife, Holly, make a habit of trying new local restaurants. He’s perpetually looking for the perfect heat in his salsa.
“I like just a little sweat coming down. Beating, but not streaming,” he said with a laugh.
And that wouldn’t have been possible before. He has clarity. He found the right place, just off the limelight and in a mostly empty ballroom.
“I’m clear as to what I want to do, why I want to do it, and where,” he said. “Sometimes we can take ourselves too seriously in the world of college football. And Montana helped me see that.”
What you thought
Last week, you told us where you thought BYU would finish in the Big 12 this season. Most preseason prognosticators have the Cougars near the bottom of the conference.
But you were more optimistic. 15% of respondents thought BYU would finish 5th in the league. Another 15% had the Cougars in 8th. The last chunk of respondents had BYU at 10th.
Surprisingly, only 7.5% of you had BYU in 13th where it is picked in the preseason poll. 2.5% had the Cougars bringing home the trophy.
Quick Hits
• Is Kalani Sitake’s seat heating up? BYU AD Tom Holmoe has the answer
• Why BYU and Utah aren’t playing rivalry weekend — and why the Big 12 could change that in the future