Mendenhall abandons New Mexico for Utah State amid controversy

In the United States, Bronco Mendenhall is anticipated to take over as the head coach for Utah State’s football program following his stint at New Mexico. Mendenhall concluded his first season with the Lobos at the end of 2024, leading the team to a 5-7 overall record, aligning their conference performance with that of Utah State at 3-4 in the Mountain West. His previous coaching experiences include a significant tenure at Brigham Young University (BYU) from 2005 to 2015, where he established a reputation for consistent excellence by guiding the Cougars to 11 successive bowl appearances and five instances of 10 or more wins in a season. Mendenhall's departure from BYU in late 2015 brought him to Virginia, where he cultivated the program into a formidable competitor within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), highlighted by a notable 9-5 record during the 2019 season that culminated in an Orange Bowl appearance. After stepping down in 2021, Mendenhall took a two-year hiatus from coaching before being appointed head coach at New Mexico. He inherited a struggling program that had not reached more than four wins in any season since 2016. However, he showcased his capacity as a coach during his first season, scoring a significant victory over then-No. 18 Washington State, which momentarily kept the team's bowl game aspirations alive, despite ultimately falling short after a loss to Hawaii in their final game. Overall, his coaching career spans over 19 years, culminating in a record of 145 wins against 95 losses across three different universities, establishing him as a seasoned leader in collegiate football.