Former BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall is taking the reins at Utah State University

LOGAN, Utah (ABC4) – Bronco Mendenhall is back in Utah.

The former BYU head coach will be Taking over the football program at Utah State University, the university’s athletics director, Diana Sabau, announced Friday. Mendenhall agreed to a six-year contract with the Aggies and will serve as USU’s 31st head football coach.

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“My passion is developing young people, transforming young people and transforming football programs to reach their full potential,” Mendenhall said in a statement. “Utah State provides a great opportunity to do both and allows for a focus on family that is essential to me and (my wife) Holly. We look forward to continuing to build on Utah State’s rich tradition and pursuing excellence in football.”

“Bronco is one of the most experienced coaches in college football. His leadership skills, proven track record and deep understanding of the game make him the ideal choice to elevate our program,” said Sabau, Utah State athletic director. “Broncos success goes far beyond football. He has a deep connection and cares about growing young men. Its student-athletes are proven leaders. He has consistently developed programs that emphasize character, discipline and excellence in every aspect of their lives.”

Mendenhall will replace Interim coach Nate Dreilingwho filled the role after Blake Anderson was fired from the job Earlier this year. The Aggies went 4-8 under Dreiling this year. It’s unclear whether Dreiling, who was originally hired as Utah State’s defensive coordinator, will remain on staff.

A native of Alpine, Utah, Mendenhall coached at BYU for 11 seasons – six of them in the Mountain West Conference. He was named Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2006 and led the Cougars to a bowl game appearance each year. He led the Cougars to five seasons with ten or more wins. Mendenhall was 99-48 at BYU and is the second winningest coach in school history behind LaVell Edwards.

Mendenhall traded Provo to Virginia in 2016, taking over a struggling program that hadn’t posted a winning record in five seasons. With Mendenhall at the helm, Virginia experienced a major turnaround, reaching bowl games in three consecutive years and winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2019.

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Mendenhall had a 36-38 record in his six seasons with the Cavaliers, after which he announced his retirement and sat out the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

But Mendenhall returned to coaching before the 2024 season and led the New Mexico Lobos to a 5-7 record. Two of his players were named to the All-MW first team and nine overall players earned All-Conference honors. Overall, Mendenhall has a career record of 145-95 as a head coach over 18 seasons.

Mendenhall led the Lobos to a 50-45 victory over Utah State on Oct. 19 in Logan. Utah State is leaving the Mountain West Conference for the new-look Pac-12 Conference in 2026.

More than 60 of Mendenhall’s former players have signed contracts to play in the NFL.

One of the Aggies’ best players, safety and captain Ike Larsen, entered the transfer portal Wednesday but said he would be willing to return to Utah State contingent on a coach’s hiring.

Utah State University says Mendenhall’s move back to Utah will allow him to be closer to his 93-year-old mother, Lenore Mendenhall, who lives in Alpine.

Mendenhall is a Utah native and graduated from American Fork High School. He began his college career as a player at Snow College, where he was an All-American and team captain during the team’s NJCAA national championship season in 1985. From there he played safety for Oregon State University, where he served as captain in his final season and later as a graduate assistant on the football staff. He later coached as an assistant at Snow College in Northern Arizona, Louisiana Tech in New Mexico and BYU.

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