Was New Mexico’s hire of Bronco Mendenhall the best of this year’s coaching carousel?

Ryan McDonald
·2 min read
Virginia Cavalier coach Bronco Mendenhall watches a play during a game with Notre Dame in Charlottesville, Va., on Thursday Nov 13, 2021. Mendenhall is stepping down as coach.
Virginia Cavalier coach Bronco Mendenhall watches a play during a game with Notre Dame in Charlottesville, Va., on Thursday Nov 13, 2021. Mendenhall is stepping down as coach. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
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The annual college football coaching carousel has nearly stopped spinning, with Troy being the only remaining FBS school that still needs to fill its top spot.

As such, national publications have started to grade each of the 18 hires that have been made, and New Mexico’s hire of former BYU and Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall has received high marks.

USA Today’s Paul Myerberg, in fact, declared that New Mexico made the very best hire of all by nabbing Mendenhall.

“He’s a winner, pure and simple,” Myerberg wrote. “Mendenhall has been very successful at two stops, Brigham Young and Virginia, reaching bowl eligibility in every non-COVID year of his coaching career outside of his debut season with the Cavaliers.

“Mendenhall is also a former New Mexico assistant under Rocky Long and brings deep familiarity with the program and the broader region. As one of the surest bets in coaching and a terrific ambassador for the program and athletics department, he’s an absolute coup for the Lobos.”

Meanwhile, Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports gave the hire an A+ (three others of the 18 also received that grade).

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“What an upgrade from (Danny) Gonzales to Mendenhall,” Sallee wrote. “The former BYU and Virginia coach has a 135-81 record as a head coach, has led teams to Top 25 rankings in either the coaches or the AP poll six times and has ties to the “Four Corners” region of the United States.

“He is known for his hard-nosed approach, discipline and ability to get the most out of his players.”

Earlier this week, Sean Reider of the Albuquerque Journal in New Mexico wrote an in-depth story about the process behind Mendenhall becoming the Lobos’ head coach, with quotes from athletic director Eddie Nuñez.

Reider reported that New Mexico football legend Rocky Long, former Utah State and Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells and Mendenhall were the three finalists for the job.

“I knew he was in the mix with a couple other jobs, maybe one or two in our league,” Nuñez said about Mendenhall. “But it goes back to, he loves challenges, but he also loves alignment. And it’s about trust.”