CC: Bronco Mendenhall (Applied for Wisconsin Job)
*I'm on the iPhone so I apologize for lack of pretty formatting.
http://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2014/12/22/7436401/report-byu-head-coach-…
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
Did Wisconsin make a bad call... That guy is good
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^
Wisconsin definitely screwed up. Chryst hasn't proven even a quarter of what Mendenhall has as a head coach.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^
b1g head coaching fraternity is the dreggs. we have only 1 coach in a 14 team conference -- ok, 13 with coaches at the moment -- whom any pac12 or sec team would consider an improvement. (well, kill would be in demand but for the medical situation.). wiscy panicked and nebraska is desperate and that kind of illogic is killing this conference.
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December 22nd, 2014 at 5:43 PM ^
Urb and Dantonio would be huge gets for any team in any conference and Kill and Franklin would be a big get for all but the big names. There are some that would be happy with Fitzgerald as well
December 22nd, 2014 at 6:38 PM ^
Yeah, but Northern Illinois is already winning games without him.
December 22nd, 2014 at 6:47 PM ^
This is bad logic.. Kill won tons of games at NIU. He made them into the team they are today. So them continuing their success somehow takes away from Kill as a coach?
More likely, Kill instilled the successful culture into the program and they selected a good replacement to continue on with what Kill built.
December 22nd, 2014 at 7:45 PM ^
Was talking about Fitzgerald. As in, they would be one of the few teams who'd be happy to have him. Should have specified.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:40 PM ^
they were certain was a good fit. They know what they're getting. I think he would have been their top choice last time, but he was reluctant to leave Pitt after only one season. Given their experience with Anderson, hiring Mendenhall would be a major gamble, even if you're convinced he's a better coach.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
Mormons like them.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:46 PM ^
Like cheese curds more than Mormans
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^
They better like snow cows too
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December 22nd, 2014 at 5:18 PM ^
Is not a "great play B option." He's more like a plan D option at best.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:22 PM ^
Do you watch football? He consistently wins at a school known as being the most lame (BYU or airforce) school in the country. That is impressive. Plus, last time I checked, BYU isn't Texas or California.
I would take him if JH said no.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
You'd have him over Miles, Stoops, ect? Because I wouldn't. He's a damn good coach, but he's not a good fit for Michigan.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:29 PM ^
Why isn't he a good fit for Michigan?
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:32 PM ^
I don't think it's going to end up mattering but I don't see why he wouldn't be a good fit here.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
I think Mendenhall is as sure a thing as there is for an under the radar coaching candidate that hasn't already won a national championship and would likely come if asked.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:40 PM ^
I'm with you, I think he'd be a great plan B hire. Actually, I'd love either of the Utah coaches, Whittingham or Mendenhall. They each have long histories of consistent winning in a state that doesn't produce a lot of talent and both have sustained success in multiple conferences. They both have excellent bowl records as well.
The big question with both those guys is how willing are they to leave Utah? If either are interested and Jimmy says no, they'd both be on my short list.
December 22nd, 2014 at 6:50 PM ^
Not that it matters because he isn't coming here, but BYU fans want him out. He isn't all he's cracked up to be. He's a good not great coach. Living in Utah, I watch plenty of their games also, so I watch plenty of games (I know your douchey question wasn't asked to me, but I figured I'd answer anyway).
December 22nd, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^
"He consistently wins at a school known as being the most lame (BYU or airforce) school in the country."
Please explain why you consider these two schools the most lame in the country?
December 23rd, 2014 at 8:18 AM ^
One can assume he is referencing BYU's strict Honor Code and AF is being lumped in their because they are a service academy aka lots of hard work in a ridgid social stricture (to outsider's) with limited free time.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:29 PM ^
Not really sure what you want in a candidate if Mendenhall doesn't convincingly meet most of your requirements as a plan B candidate. He wins a ton at a school that is incredibly hard to recruit for and also runs an apparently clean program at a school with high academic standards. He also runs an offense and defense that would fit current personnel and is very young (48) for a coach with 9 years of continuous division 1 head coaching experience.
December 22nd, 2014 at 8:30 PM ^
or Air Force as you mentioned above, relevant for how someone will recruit at Michigan? Those schools are similar. It's incredibly hard to recruit a very highly ranked class, probably impossible. I suspect it's also very difficult to recruit against them for the players they do get. Those schools have very few peers for the students that are interested in them. Lavell Edwards won at BYU for a very long time.
He looks like a good coach, but not a sure thing It's uncertain how happy he would be here. He lacks connections in our main recruiting areas. We're looking for a big name to make an immediate impact, if not on our record, then on the fanbase. He wouldn't do that.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:27 PM ^
Bronco. . . "dont let him loose in your house or else you'll be" . . . Mendenhall(s).
December 22nd, 2014 at 7:47 PM ^
Lolz.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:31 PM ^
Never heard of him. No joke
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:33 PM ^
BYU head coach. They are currently playing on ESPN, and leading.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronco_Mendenhall
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:37 PM ^
I thought college football was over. Are they still playing games?
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
Yes, yes they are. Ya see, when teams are good and they win 6 games or more, those teams are rewarded by getting an extra game to play against a similarly rated team to showcase their team and school for a broader audience. These games are called bowls.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
I'd rather have Dan Mullen over him. Most of his wins come against Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada etc. in the Mountain West. Mullen beat LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Auburn etc.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:37 PM ^
Wittingham's been to a BCS Bowl as a non AQ program. He's who you want as a plan C after Harbaugh and the plan B Miles/Mullen tier.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:42 PM ^
Based on what he just did NOPE NOPE NOPE
45 seconds left up 1, he uses two timeouts to try to ice the kicker on a PAT.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^
Well if we are disqualifying guys for bad clock management I guess Miles is out.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
Miles has a national championship. Bronco Mendenahll hasn't made a BCS bowl ever.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^
Mendenhall is 90-38 with BYU and 6-3 in bowl games, not counting however this bowl turns out. I'm pretty sure that's an impressive enough resume to be a great plan B candidate. Also, I've never said he's a better candidate than Miles, but that I think he's a great plan B candidate.
December 22nd, 2014 at 7:39 PM ^
I think it's hard to argue him as a Plan B when Harbaugh is clearly the only Plan A. Plan B are guys like Miles/Stoops - guys that have proven themselves at a high level. Mendenhall is a Plan C at best. That doesn't mean he's a bad coach, but we'd have to go through 4-5 others guys before he's legimately considered.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:43 PM ^
He just called two timeouts on an extra point. That looks like something Hoke would do.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
I'd agree, but that would mean Hoke made a bowl game...
December 22nd, 2014 at 6:44 PM ^
It was the end of the regulation, he had the timeouts just sitting there, and the PAT ties the score. I don't really see the downside of calling the TOs. It's not like he can save them for later. I don't personally subscribe to the idea that TOs "ice" the kicker, but a lot of really smart coaches with otherwise good game management do.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
call a timeout to ice the kicker for an extra point when he had 45 seconds left to try to get a field goal?
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^
Most positive revelation of the coaching search other than finding out JH is actually a possibility is that Mullen's name has not been heard at all. For being such a prime candidate why was he not linked to schools who have already made hires? He's had ONE, I repeat ONE good year as a head coach. I do not care that one season came in the SEC.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^
Bronco > Schiano > Mullen
I do not want Schiano but yup I would rather he than Mullen
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:58 PM ^
Do you mind if I ask why you would take Schiano over Mullen?
December 22nd, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
My main argument for Schiano over Mullen is because I do not believe in Mullen. I dont want to go into the details other than what I have already stated. If you want more of a reason go to Alum96 CC diary on Mullen. I went into more detail on my arguments against Mullen there.
As far as Schiano goes I think he catches a bad rep for what happened with the bucs. Look what Lovie has done with them this year. And where does Josh Freeman play now?
Im terrified of bringing someone in who wants to drastically change the system(if one exists). I do not want a mass exodus and I do not want a transition period. Hoke recruited well, the next hire should be a able to do what Hoke could not and win with the talent
December 22nd, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
Thank you for your answer. While I may disagree, I can totally see where you are coming from.
December 22nd, 2014 at 7:18 PM ^
Schiano didn't even get a sniff at the Pitt job. Why you would rate him over Mullen is beyond me.
December 22nd, 2014 at 8:20 PM ^
If they do not get Narduzzi they will be making a huge mistake by not considering Schiano
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^
I could live with Mendenhall if we miss on a few options
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
Yup, I think this sequence of events in Miami Beach should preclude Mendenhall from consideration for just about any coaching job.
December 22nd, 2014 at 5:51 PM ^
No actually it shouldn't. Judging a coach's body of work based on a gamble he took assuming his team couldn't get within field goal range in 45 seconds is not smart. But yeah being reactionary is awesome.