Never underestimate the pull of family.
That is, above all other reasons, why Bronco Mendenhall is now the head football coach at Utah State University.
"There isn't anyone on the planet who will have higher expectations for our players. And the greatest gift I can give are extreme expectations. Some say high and that is not enough."
The opportunity to coach again in the state of Utah, where he was born and raised, where his mother lives and where multiple of his adult children attend Brigham Young University, was too much to turn down.
It is, as Mendenhall described it Monday morning at his introductory press conference in Logan, the opportunity of a lifetime, even if the timing wasn't the most ideal after a single year at New Mexico.
"We think this is a life-changing moment for my wife and I and my family," Mendenhall said. "That ultimately was the reason. Saying there was another reason, there wasn't. (This was) our chance to continue to do this (coach college football) with our family so close. Man, who gets to do that? It is just awesome. And it happens to be here in Logan at Utah State, with this rich tradition, recent success and past successes and the trajectory of the future. Gosh, it just made a lot of sense."
Weird as it may appear to those used to Mendenhall sporting BYU gear, given his decade spent leading the Cougars from 2005 to 2015, Mendenhall makes sense at Utah State.
He fits.
What Utah State wants from its football program, especially.
Bronco Mendenhall, left, and Athletics Director Diana Sabau attend a press conference where Mendenhall was introduced as the new football coach at Utah State University, Monday Dec. 9, 2024, in Logan, Utah. | Eli Lucero, The Herald Journal
"This is about growing football, not simply sustaining it year-over-year," USU athletic director Diana Sabau said. "I've had numerous questions about our head coaching search. This was a national process. I received a lot of calls of interest from very qualified candidates. From members in the NFL, former Aggies, from Division I position coaches and coordinators and from several sitting head coaches. It was an intense interest. You all should recognize that and hold it dear.
"To that end, I made the decision early, that we needed the experience of a sitting head coach to develop our young men and address the complexities of this changing game of football at the Division I level," she continued. "We needed someone at Utah State, for our football program, who would elevate our competitive excellence, prioritize our academic success and engage as good stewards in our community. Bronco Mendenhall emerged as that leader."
Standing in front of a backdrop emblazoned with the USU logos, Mendenhall was still very clearly Bronco Mendenhall.
Well-spoken, well-mannered, exact in the details down to individual word choice. He questioned a reporter who claimed to quote him, saying "I'm not sure you have a quote from me saying I wanted to reinvent myself."
And in what should come as little surprise, Mendenhall was up front about the demands he has for Utah State's football program and its players, current and future.
And does he ever have demands.
Holly and Bronco Mendenhall smile following a press conference where Bronco was introduced as the new football coach at Utah State University, Monday Dec. 9, 2024, in Logan, Utah. | Eli Lucero, The Herald Journal
"We craved influence and impact on young people," Mendenhall said of he and his wife Holly. "That is the greatest thing we get to do. To influence the younger generation to become greater than us. In my opinion, the world of college athletes is the ideal platform to develop amazing young people from. At the same time, championships matter. And so, what you will be getting with a head coach in myself, is results absolutely matter but how we accomplish that matters even more.
"I care about these young people, who they become, what they do with their lives and how they play. But ultimately, if they are influencing this community in a positive way, if they are becoming amazing young men for their families, if they are contributing to society, with all kinds of memories of championship experiences here, that looks like success to me. There isn't anyone on the planet who will have higher expectations for our players. And the greatest gift I can give are extreme expectations. Some say high and that is not enough."
That sort of expectation is what the USU football program has craved the last few seasons, even as the Aggies won the Mountain West Conference title in 2021. Three-straight losing seasons will do that to a program, especially with membership in the Pac-12 Conference upcoming and with it the promise of elevated competition week after week.
"When I hired (Sabau) I charged her with elevating Aggie athletics," USU president Elizabeth Cantwell said. "And we are doing just that. ... Between now (and when USU begins competition in the Pac-12), there is a lot to be done. And we are very excited about that. Our focus is creating and running winning programs. Because that elevates the university."
Mendenhall wasn't shy about the challenge that being a player in his USU program will be. He noted that there will be many current Aggies who decide that he and the way he does things isn't for them.
Those players that stay will be coached by a staff comprised almost solely of former Mendenhall players, and, Mendenhall said, will play in a scheme catered to their strengths.
"I'll look at the players we have, then put them in schemes to be successful and get the results we all want," he said. "And we will watch that unfold as we go."
Mendenhall expressed excitement about leading Utah State into the Pac-12. He noted the importance of the resources that the university has provided for him — he will make $2 million plus each season and has $3.5 million available for his assistant coaches. He talked recruiting, and in what should come as little surprise, he emphasized the need to recruit in Utah and make the Utah State football program a reflection of the community that it is in.
For an introductory press conference, which he is now fairly experienced with, Mendenhall hit all the right notes.
One note ultimately hit harder than any other, though. And that is why Mendenhall is truly back in Utah, this time at Utah State.
"Holly and I are thrilled to be back in the state," he said. "... The first guiding principle of our program is family first, last and always. This decision, in addition to this amazing institution, aligns with our first principle, family first, last, always.
"Who in the world gets to lead an amazing football program into a brand new era with such a rich tradition and gets to do it with the support of their family in the same state? I think we have the best job on the planet. And I'll do my best to act in that manner, not only with results, but integrity."
Holly and Bronco Mendenhall listen as Utah State President Elizabeth Cantwell speaks at a press conference where Bronco was introduced as the new football coach at Utah State University, Monday Dec. 9, 2024, in Logan, Utah. | Eli Lucero, The Herald Journal
