PROVO, Utah — After being introduced as BYU's new head football coach, Bronco Mendenhall said he was humbled, but "determined and ready to take this football program where it's supposed to be."
The new coach spoke to the media at a press conference Monday, Dec. 13, in the Cougar Room at LaVell Edwards Stadium on the BYU campus. Filling the vacancy left with the resignation of former coach Gary Crowton, Mendenhall announced a leadership triumvirate that will include himself, longtime BYU assistant coach and former player Lance Reynolds as assistant head coach, and former player Robert Anae who was lured away from an assistant coaching position at Texas Tech to be the new offensive coordinator.
Mendenhall, who said he will continue as defensive coordinator, was articulate but not overly verbose during his first public exposure as the new head coach.
After a process that took several days, BYU's focus was on Mendenhall and Reynolds. It was a tough decision, said Tom Holmoe, a member of the BYU athletics transition team and point man on the search for a new coach, but he affirmed the decision was "the right choice for this current time at BYU."
During the change of coaches, there was some talk among interested people and in the media questioning the method of BYU's process. Elder Cecil O. Samuelson of the Seventy and president of BYU, answered those questions at the press conference saying, "As we do things at Brigham Young University, we do them the Brigham Young University way. We hope you understand but don't worry too much when you don't."
Elder Samuelson said about the new coach, "He's not only an accomplished football coach, but he's a wonderful man who is a great teacher, he's a great example and a great credit to BYU and to the Church."
In a separate interview, Mendenhall smiled and said coaching college football is less challenging than facing a Primary class of 14 5-year-olds, his first Church calling after moving to Utah to become BYU's defensive coordinator in 2003.
The Primary calling was a humbling, daunting task, he said, because the children "don't really care who I am." But the father of three sons ages 5, 3 and 18 months, said he learned a lot from teaching Primary and enjoyed it.
Mendenhall said, "My intent is to represent the Church and this university in a way that they will be proud of me and be able to use me as an example and an ambassador for both."
A native of Alpine, Utah, Mendenhall is the son of Paul W. and Lenore Mendenhall, and the brother of former BYU player Mat Mendenhall. The coach's father also played for BYU in the 1950s and was president of the New Zealand Auckland Mission from 1999 to 2002.
Mendenhall played football for Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, and Oregon State University before embarking on a career as an assistant coach that took him to several schools before he landed at BYU.
His wife, Holly, said her husband is great with their sons even though coaching is very demanding on his time. "I love that he loves what he does," she said. "That overflows to us."
Mendenhall said the goal for BYU football is to be dominant in the Mountain West Conference and perform consistently well at the national level.
"We'll do that with players that represent the university and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," he said, later stating, "I think that what needs to happen now is our evaluation process needs to be reviewed and needs to be more cautious in terms of who we bring in. And we need to have a more comprehensive plan once they're here to keep them here."
At least some of the current players believe Mendenhall is the coach to do the job.
Linebacker Cameron Jensen called his new head coach "a great leader." He said, "He teaches about being better people. . . . There's nobody better that I know that could lead us, even spiritually, with the respect he demands."
Returning starting quarterback John Beck said the new coach fits well with BYU and its football program. He said Mendenhall "knows that all aspects of the gospel correlate to everything in your life. As players, we don't question that because we see it in the way that he lives his life and the way that he runs his coaching."
E-mail to:ghill@desnews.com
