(12-04-2015 11:04 PM)Crimsonelf Wrote: .....It took a bit to sink in, and while this hire is hugely surprising on the surface of things, underneath it all there are some understandable currents.
1) While the PR I've read so far has Bronco leaving Byu b/c of the P5/G5 thing, realistically The Stormin' Mormons can be relevant...just not -seemingly- with Bronco! If they get a really good coach in there he could make them part of the convo.
2) But Byu doesn't want to just can the guy---so he's looking around for a 'transfer', and finds one as there are So Many hires taking place.
3) Of course, this isn't a bad hire, once the shock wears off, but can he at least be coach 8-4---b/c I'm not sure what else to expect.
4) And that's just it: I don't think UVA is necessarily serious about pigskins, which isn't the worst thing in the world, certainly not if VT can get back to really good.
5) Yet....the conference may take another hit on this. I'm wishing Coach Mendenhall the best and hope I'm just overanalyzing this thing. But don't think I am....
Personally, I think this is a great scenario. I am a Bronco Mendenhall fan, but a lot of Cougar Nation, including some major boosters, have wanted him gone for some time.
One of the main reasons for this angst is because Bronco treated the Holy War rivalry just like any other game, and had the poor record to prove it (3-6). Whereas the Ewetes coach Kyle Whittingham (who played at BYU), treated it like the Rivalry.
Bronco played at Oregon St. and coached at New Mexico prior to BYU - so I don't entirely blame him for not understating the local importance of the Holy War. But it has affected BYU's support and recruiting.
I'm excited for the change at BYU - more just to shut up the Bronco-haters - and to see how Mendenhall performs in Charlottesville. Mendenhall is a defensive mastermind. Go check out BYU's recruiting rankings, especially in the secondary. The defense has definitely over-performed under Bronco. I'm excited to see what he can do at UVA with better athletes.
For UVA, another potential MAJOR side benefit to this hire are two potential transfers:
1) QB Taysom Hill is a graduate transfer candidate. He's still recovering from his lisfranc injury, but he is a legitimate Heisman contender when healthy. IMO, if Hill is healthy and able to play, I think he will transfer to MICHIGAN - he originally signed with Harbaugh and Stanford before transferring to BYU during his LDS mission (after Harbaugh left for the 49ers). But, I could see Mendenhall pulling Hill towards UVA.
2) RB Jamaal Williams (aka JSwagg). He is a 3-year starter who would have broken BYU's career rushing records this year. However, he sat out this entire season because of personal problems as a non-enrollee. I believe this means that Williams is eligible to transfer to any school that offers him a scholarship without sitting out a year. JSwagg and his family love Bronco - so I won't be surprised at all if he transfers to UVA (knowing nothing about the Cavs' running back stable).
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UVA Coaching Search Thread (Hired Bronco Mendenhall on 12/4)
