BYU Remains ‘Near And Dear’ To Heart Of Virginia Coach Bronco Mendenhall

PROVO, Utah – When Bronco Mendenhall concluded his tenure as head coach of the BYU football program in 2015, he finished as the school’s second-winningest coach. Behind only the legendary LaVell Edwards.

Mendenhall surprised many when he left BYU for the head coach position at Virginia in December of 2015. Since that decision to take an opportunity at building a Power Five program back up, Mendenhall’s Hoos have clinched bowl eligibility in five of his first six seasons.

Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall addressing the media: "#BYU is near and dear to my heart."#BYUFootball #Virginia #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/yEswfZyy4o

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 25, 2021

This Saturday night (8:15 p.m., ESPN2 & KSL NewsRadio) will be Mendenhall’s first visit back to BYU, the place that launched his head coaching career.

“BYU is near and dear to my heart. They gave me an opportunity to be a head coach,” said Mendenhall on Monday. “13 years I was at Brigham Young University. My father  (Paul Mendenhall) played there. My brother (Mat) played there. I lived close by.”

Mendenhall posted a 99-43 record during his 11 years as head coach at BYU. He also had two years as a defensive coordinator at BYU under Gary Crowton, where he came to the Cougars from New Mexico with an innovative 3-3-5 defense.

Bronco Mendenhall: "I'll always be thankful for the opportunities I was given by the institution –I'm talking about #BYU— and for a unique set of values that align with my faith, and the development of young people."#BYUFootball #Virginia @kslsports

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 25, 2021

Mendenhall-coached BYU teams were tough, a little bit chippy, but they always played hard. Some of those traits have carried over to Mendenhall’s tenure in Charlottesville.

As the head coach at BYU, Mendenhall had five seasons during that stretch that finished ranked in the Top 25. Since joining Virginia, Mendenhall has posted a 36-34 record that includes an ACC Coastal Division title in 2019 and an appearance in the Orange Bowl.

Bronco Mendenhall is thankful for the opportunities BYU provided

“It’s an amazing experience to now be able to return,” Mendenhall added. “But it’s been six years, and I’m the coach of the University of Virginia and so thankful to be here and to continue to learn and grow and progress. I’ll always be thankful for the opportunities I was given, for the institution – I’m talking about BYU – and for the unique set of values that align with my faith and the development of young people.”

When the Cougars and Cavaliers lock up for the sixth all-time meeting, first since 2014 (when Mendenhall was on BYU’s sideline), it will pair up two of the three men living today that can say they’ve been the head coaches at BYU. Kalani Sitake has respect for his opponent and the Virginia staff that is filled with many BYU connections.

Kalani Sitake is ready to welcome Bronco back to Provo

“If you look at the last 16 years or so, there’s been two guys in that seat (head coach at BYU), and he’s one of them. So I think if there’s anybody that would understand a little bit what I’m going through, he would be the guy,” said Sitake.

Kalani Sitake: "I have a ton of respect for Bronco Mendenhall and what he's done here at #BYU."#BYUFootball #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/qANBlpMFr4

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 25, 2021

“I’m looking forward to connecting with him pregame and I’m going to give him a warm welcome that he deserves because of the time that he spent here and the things he’s done for this organization. Being a BYU fan myself, I have a ton of appreciation for him on that. But once the game starts, we’ll go back to the game being about the players. Once it’s finished, regardless of the outcome, that level of respect and appreciation and love will still be there for him and his staff,” added Sitake.

The day that Mendenhall took the position to become Virginia’s head coach in 2015, he clearly stated in a press conference at BYU that he never wanted to face the Cougars as the head coach at Virginia. During his first year on the job with UVA, the Hoos pushed back a scheduled 2019 meeting in Provo to this weekend’s 2021 spot. Virginia even threw in another trip to Provo in 2025 for pushing back the original 2019 date.

Bronco Mendenhall on how the #BYU game came to be: "I do remember when I was leaving BYU, that I wouldn't play this game. I didn't know how to make it any clearer, but that didn't happen. I just learned I'm not the one that decides, so I don't know all the workings of it."

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 25, 2021

“Just time,” Mendenhall on softening up to playing BYU. “I can’t say that I’m at ease, but once it was clear that the game was going to be played early on, then yeah, it was going to be played. It’s six years, and that time is — it adds perspective, and it also sometimes has your heart grow fonder, but also at times it allows separation. Sometimes it just takes time.”

No. 25 BYU vs. Virginia

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m.

TV: ESPN2

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.