During his four seasons as the head coach at Brigham Young, Bronco Mendenhall has returned the Cougars to the ranks of the nation's top teams. Taking over a BYU program in 2005 that had not enjoyed a winning season since 2001, Mendenhall has guided his teams to four straight bowl invitations, two outright Mountain West Conference championships and consistent national top-25 rankings.
After a 6-6 season in 2005, Mendenhall's Cougars have earned a 32-7 record over the past three seasons, including two Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl victories in 2006 and 2007. Only five teams in the last three years have won more games than BYU. Boasting a 38-13 overall record, Mendenhall has coached his team to 20 wins in the last 23 games to help the Cougars become one of only nine teams to be ranked in the final BCS standings in each of the last three seasons.
In his first season, Mendenhall led BYU to a 6-5 regular-season record and earned an invitation to the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl -- the team's first postseason bowl appearance in three seasons. Over the next two seasons, he coached the Cougars to back-to-back 11-win seasons and claimed consecutive MWC titles with a combined record of 16-0 against league opponents.
In 2008, BYU posted a 10-2 regular season to achieve three straight 10-win seasons for only the third time in school history. In doing so, Mendenhalls teams became the first in Cougar history to go unbeaten at home over three consecutive seasons. While defending its home turf in 2008, BYU produced many memorable moments, including a 59-0 win over 2007 Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl opponent UCLA.
From his first day as a head coach, Mendenhall has stressed the importance of winning at home. After finishing 3-3 in Provo during the 2005 season, Mendenhall and the Cougars have registered perfect 6-0 records each of the past three seasons. In 2006, the Cougars finished the season as the most dominate home team in the country, and the most dominate home team in BYU football history, winning games by an average 35.16 points per game. In 2008 BYU won at home by 30.16 points per game. In 2007, the Cougars allowed just 11.3 points per game, marking the best scoring defense effort since the 1988 season when BYU held opponents to just 10.2 points per game.
The Cougars have received four straight bowl invitations for the first time since a string of 17 consecutive bowls invitations from 1978 through 1994. Mendenhall is the only coach in BYU football history to take his first four teams to a bowl game. In fact, with BYUs invitation to attend the 2007 Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, Mendenhall became the first coach in BYU football history to take a team to a bowl game in three straight seasons during his first three years as a head coach.
On November 17, 2007, Mendenhall led the Cougars to a 35-10 victory over Wyoming to record his 25th career win. With the victory, Mendenhall became the only coach in BYU football history to win 25 games in his first 35 attempts.
Building on the success of his first-ever season as a head coach in 2005, Mendenhall and the Cougars posted an 11-2 record in 2006, winning the outright Mountain West Conference Championship with a perfect 8-0 record. As a result, BYU returned to the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl to represent the MWC. In dominating fashion, and with a swagger similar to that of the glory years of BYU football, the Cougars handed Oregon a 38-8 defeat in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl.
Throughout the 2006 season, BYU climbed the national polls by winning nine straight games to finish the regular season. As a result, the Cougars earned top-20 rankings in the Associated Press Top-25, the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive Poll and the BCS rankings. The Cougars' nine-game win streak was the third longest in the country and marked only the seventh time in BYU football history the Cougars had recorded at least nine consecutive wins in a single season.
Following the 2006 season, Mendenhall was named the American Football Coaches Association Region IV Coach of the Year. In addition, Mendenhall was named by the Football Writers Association of America one of nine finalists for the prestigious Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
The 2007 season started out in similar fashion, winning just one of the team's first three games; however, under Mendenhall's direction, the Cougars rebounded to win the final 10 games of the season, and like the previous year, garnered the attention of local, regional and national voters. BYU finished the season ranked No. 17 in the final BCS standings--three places higher than the 2006 Cougars. In the final polls of the season, BYU finished ranked 14th in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Poll, marking the highest finish for the Cougars since finishing No. 5 following the 1996 season.
Like the 2006 season, BYU ranked among the nation's leaders in several statistical categories. The Cougars led the MWC and ranked 14th in passing offense, averaging 298.4 yards per game. The Cougars also led the league and ranked 25th in total offense, averaging 442.8 yards per game.
Defensively, the Cougars ranked 10th nationally in total defense, allowing just 307.9 yards per game. During the regular season, the Cougars did not allow a single 100-yard rusher. BYU finished the year ranked 9th nationally, allowing an average 97.5 yards rushing per game. One of Mendenhall's jobs as the head coach and defensive coordinator is to manage points. Defensively, BYU ranked 9th in the nation, allowing just 18.5 points per game.
In 2008, BYU earned a spot in the national polls each week of the season, including a ranking as high as No. 7. With just two regular-season blemishes on its resume with road losses at No. 6 Utah and No. 11 TCU, BYU earned a No. 16 ranking in the final BCS standings and an invitation to the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl. Off the field, only Penn State (4) placed more student-athletes on the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America First Team than BYU in 2008. Cougar starters David Oswald (offensive tackle), Matt Bauman (linebacker) and Kellen Fowler (safety) each earned the high honor as BYU had three first-teamers for the first time during the same season.
Mendenhall began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1989 at his alma mater, Oregon State. After earning his master's degree in 1990, he moved to Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, where he served as the secondary coach and defensive coordinator from 1991-92 under current BYU assistant coach Paul Tidwell. Following two seasons with the Badgers, Mendenhall became the secondary coach at Northern Arizona, where the Lumberjacks boasted the top-ranked defense in the Big Sky Conference. He was elevated to co-defensive coordinator for the 1994 season.
In 1995, Mendenhall returned to Oregon State to become the defensive line coach under then defensive coordinator Rocky Long. When Long left to become the defensive coordinator at UCLA, Mendenhall was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 1996 season. At just 29 years of age, Mendenhall was the youngest defensive coordinator in Pac-10 history.
In 1997, Mendenhall became the secondary coach at Louisiana Tech where he helped the Bulldogs to a remarkable 9-2 record as his defensive unit was credited with 17 interceptions, allowing just 15 touchdowns on the season.
In 1998, Mendenhall moved to Albuquerque, N.M., to become the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at the University of New Mexico. Over the next five seasons, the Lobos improved from just three wins in 1998 to seven wins and an invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl in 2002. In the Lobos' 27-13 loss against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Mendenhall-led defense held the Bruins to a season-low 167 yards.
Under Mendenhall, the Lobos led the Mountain West Conference in rushing defense for three straight seasons. In 2001, New Mexico gave up just 87.4 yards per game over the season. In his final season in Albuquerque, Mendenhall led the Lobos to a top ranking against league opponents in total defense, allowing just 316.4 yards per game. The Lobos also led the MWC in sacks in both the 2000 and 2002 season, totaling 46 and 38, respectively.
At New Mexico, Mendenhall played a valuable role in the development of the 1999 Mountain West Player of the Year, Consensus All-American and first-round NFL Draft pick Brian Urlacher. The ninth overall selection in the 2000 NFL Draft, Urlacher was voted the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a Pro Bowl selection. Urlacher was one of two rookies to play all 16 games, starting at middle linebacker the final 14 games to establish a team record for starts at the position by a rookie. He shattered Bears rookie records with 165 total tackles and eight sacks, making him the second Chicago first-year player to lead the team in tackles. Urlacher finished his collegiate career ranked third on New Mexico's all-time list with 442 tackles.
As a player, Mendenhall was a two-year starter at cornerback for Snow College from 1984-85. In his second season, Mendenhall captained the Badgers to a perfect 11-0 record and the NJCAA National Championship. That same season, he earned many accolades, including first-team all-conference, all-region, second-team NJCAA All-America and JC Gridwire Academic All-America honors.
Mendenhall transferred to Oregon State and was a two-year starter, playing free safety, strong safety and linebacker for the Beavers. Mendenhall was a team captain as a senior and received the Leo Gribkoff Memorial Award, given to the team's most inspirational player.
Mendenhall was raised in Alpine, Utah, and graduated from American Fork High School in 1984. He received a bachelor's degree in education from Oregon State in 1988 and a master's degree in education with an emphasis in exercise physiology also from OSU in 1990.
His older brother, Mat, played football at BYU from 1975-79, before spending four years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins. Another brother, Marty, was a former Mr. Utah bodybuilder. Mendenhall's father, Paul, was a defensive end at BYU from 1953-54.
Mendenhall, who resides in Alpine, Utah, is married to Holly Johnston of Missoula, Mont. The couple has three sons.
Responsibilities:
Head Coach (2005-present)
- 38-13 overall record for a .745 winning percentage
- Only 13 teams in the nation have won more games over his four seasons
- At 32-7 over the last three years, only five teams have won more games
- Two MWC Championships, four Bowl invitations
- 2006 FWAA Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year finalist
- 2006 American Football Coaches Association Region IV Coach of the Year
Defensive Coordinator (2003-2004)
- BYU Cougar Club Assistant Coach of the Year Award (2003)
Prior To BYU:
Oregon State (1989-90)
Graduate Assistant; Defensive Line
Snow College (1991-92)
Defensive Coordinator; Secondary
Northern Arizona (1993-94)
Secondary (1993)
Co-Defensive Coordinator; Secondary (1994)
Oregon State (1995-96)
Defensive Line (1995)
Defensive Coordinator; Secondary (1996)
Louisiana Tech (1997)
Secondary
New Mexico (1998-2002)
Defefnsive Coordinator; Secondary (1998-02)
Assistant Head Coach (2002)
Playing Career:
American Fork H.S. (1980-83)
Snow College JC (1984-85) Gridwire All-American; Team Captain; NJCAA National Champions (11-0)
Oregon State (1986-87)
Two-year starter; Played safety and linebacker; Team Captain ('87); Leo Gribkoff Memorial Award ('87)
Education:
American Fork High School (1984)
Oregon State (1988; B.S., Phys. Ed.)
Oregon State (1990; Masters of Education, Exercise Physiology)
Hometown:
Alpine, Utah
Family:
Wife: Holly Johnston
Children: Cutter, Breaker, Raeder
Statistics:
HEAD COACHING LEDGER Season School Overall Conference Bowl 2005 BYU 6-6 5-3/T2nd MWC L, Las Vegas Bowl 2006 BYU 11-2 8-0/1st MWC W, Las Vegas Bowl 2007 BYU 11-2 8-0/1st MWC W, Las Vegas Bowl 2008 BYU 10-3 6-2/3rd MWC L, Las Vegas Bow Total BYU 38-13 (.745) 27-5 (.844) 2-2
Bronco Mendenhall Multimedia
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