Bronco Mendenhall will coach college football in Utah again as the Utah State Aggies hired him as the program’s next head coach.
Most recently New Mexico’s head coach, Mendenhall previously coached BYU to 11-straight bowl game appearances from 2005 to 2015 before a short stint at Virginia. Mendenhall has a 140—88 career record and a 7—7 mark in bowl games through 18 seasons of coaching.
His Lobos squad fell short of a bowl game this year at 5—7. Mendenhall takes over Utah State program that went 4—8 this year.
“My passion is developing young people and transforming football programs to reach their full potential,” Mendenhall wrote in a statement from the university.
“Utah State provides a great opportunity to do both and allows a family focus that is essential to me and Holly. We look forward to adding to Utah State’s rich tradition and striving for football excellence.”
Utah State has been playing football since 1912 and has 13 conference titles and six bowl wins in school history. The Aggies have produced 132 NFL players, with the most notable of late being Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner.
“Bronco is one of the most experienced coaches in college football. His leadership, proven track record, and deep understanding of the game make him the ideal choice to elevate our program,” Aggies athletic director Diana Sabau wrote in a statement.
“Bronco’s success goes far beyond football. He has a deep connection and care for growing young men. His student-athletes are proven leaders,” Sabua continued. “He has consistently built programs that emphasize character, discipline, and excellence in every aspect of their lives.”
Mendenhall has improved programs wherever he’s coached. BYU had three straight losing seasons before he arrived and finished .500 or better every year with the Cougars.
At Virginia, he turned around the Cavaliers program after four straight losing seasons, though the turnaround took longer than at BYU. Mendenhall’s squads finished with losing records in 2016 at 2—10 and 2017 at 6—7 before he coached the Cavaliers to back-to-back bowl games. That included a 9—5 season and an Orange Bowl berth in 2019, but Mendenhall’s squads finished .500 the next two seasons before he stepped away from coaching in 2022.
Mendenhall returned to coaching this year with New Mexico and led the Lobos to a one-game improvement from the year before. The Lobos have been mired in a seven-year slump of losing seasons since 2016.
At Utah State, Mendenhall will look to get the Aggies back on track after three straight losing seasons. Interim head coach Nate Dreiling coached the Aggies this season after the university fired Blake Anderson over allegations related to Title IX violations in July.
