Interviews with UNM head football coaches at Utah State

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It’s not what Lobo football fans want to hear, but multiple sources confirmed that Bronco Mendenhall was in Utah on Thursday to interview for the Utah State football head job.

Mendenhall has important ties to Utah. He coached the Brigham Young University football team for a decade before moving to the University of Virginia.

Mendenhall helped the Lobos post a 5-7 record this season and narrowly missed out on bowl eligibility with a loss to Hawaii in the final game of the year.

Utah news outlets report that Mendenhall and BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill are the top two candidates.

Mendenhall signed a five-year, $6 million contract with UNM a year ago Thursday.

Here’s what he said last Tuesday when asked if Utah State had reached out to him:

“It was just speculated that I would be contacted by them. I was neither approached nor interviewed.”

If Mendenhall takes a closer look at the contract, he will owe him $2 million UNM if he terminates it. Utah State would most likely pay for this acquisition for him.

Sources say they will announce their decision soon.