From unsolicited coaching advice at gas pumps to personalized critiques scrawled on his mail, the former Cougars coach recounts the intense, 24/7 scrutiny of Provo’s obsessed fanbase.
Former BYU Cougars football coach Bronco Mendenhall definitely has some good stories to tell. As he prepares for the 2026 season at Utah State, the longtime coach took a trip down memory lane about his time in Provo.
Mendenhall was asked about his days with the program and what he remembered the most.
"As a head coach, I remember this vividly at BYU. There's no place I could go," Mendenhall told the Pac-12's Yogi Roth.
"If I was pumping gas, literally someone's gonna say something about our team and how I'm coaching or whatever. The mailman was writing letters on my letters. So I'd go to the mailbox, get the letter out and there was a letter on the letter. And if it wasn't enough, there'd be he'd say one, and then I find two written on the next letter. I've never seen a market so saturated in interested in sport. And so that's an amazing thing."
BYU is known for having passionate fans and traditional values. However, it appears some take things a bit too far. Either way, there's no place in America with some of the best fans.
As for Mendenhall, he took Utah State on a new journey as a member of the new-look Pac-12. After 13 seasons in the Mountain West Conference, the Aggies have officially moved on. Mendenhall says the change is huge for the university.
“It’s instant credibility,” Mendenhall said when asked what the reaction from recruits has been to the change.
BYU doesn't play Utah State this season, but Utah will in Week 3. The Utes starting QB Devon Dampier will face Mendenhall, who was his head coach at New Mexico in 2024. Both left for different positions at their respective new schools.
At BYU, Mendenhall posted a 99-43 record, including a 39-9 mark in six seasons as a member of the Mountain West. Overall, he led the Cougars to 11 straight bowl games, including six bowl wins, and a pair of conference championships in 2006 and 2007. In 2012, BYU finished the year ranked No. 3 in total defense, allowing just 266.1 yards per game, and won a program-best fourth consecutive bowl game.
BYU was one of 11 FBS programs to play in 11 straight bowl games during that time. He also posted five 10-win seasons, including three 11-win campaigns, and averaged nine wins per season during his tenure in Provo.
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