Bronco: The Legend, the Woes, the Promise

    Bronco Mendenhall has done a pretty phenomenal job across the width and breadth of his career. I root for him and cheer him all the way. (Thanks AI feature: I did not originally want to say, "all the way." But it fits...)

    Bronco has been a good or sometimes semi-great college football coach, but more importantly he is a person of character and strong will, a man who leads young men and the associated older men, women, and youth who follow and love his programs in an outstanding way. With honor, class, and respect. 

    He coached some great defensive players (see Brian Urlacher) where he was Defensive Coordinator at the University of New Mexico, when my alma mater brought him to Provo, where the replacement to the legendary Lavell Edwards after decades, and BYU went on to lose, three years in a row. There was behavioral and personnel problems with the Honor Code, too. Criminal stuff, not just normal law of chastity and Word of Wisdom (drugs) issues.

    Bronco cleaned it up as head coach, and won from the start. Eleven pretty awesome years. Consistently winning and going to bowls. 

    He shocked a lot of people and went to UVA in Charlottesville. And, he did really well for the flagship school of the Commonwealth, at times outshining the vaunted Hokies of Blacksburg. What else to expect?

    Them, after maybe six years, he shocked a lot of people (hello!) and retired as a young guy, about 59. He did it for family and personal reasons. 

    

    But this last year, he surprised the world yet again, (sort of), and went back to Albuquerque, where he first got real notoriety, to resurrect the program. 

    The first game was against Football Championship Series (lower tier) school Montana State, in the Land of Enchantment, and he, they... lost. It was kind of a must-win. However, the season is long, and like at BYU, or even Virginia, his teams have recovered from early disheartening losses. Go, Coach Bronco! Rally the boys!

    Ahh, we have had some tough losses over the years with Bronco. Too many to get into now. But there have always been the sweet victories. And the consistent, calm, and glorious wins.

    Victories, triumphs, and respect.

    That is Bronco, at the end of the day, and his career, no matter the final score.

    A winner. A leader. A champion.