Non-AQ Report: BYU Coach Finds Joy in Coaching Defense

Filed under: Brigham Young, Houston, New Mexico, New Mexico State, TCU

Brigham Young coach Bronco Mendenhall said he'd been thinking about changing defensive coordinators for a while before he fired Jaime Hill last week, and after Saturday's performance against San Diego State, he's probably wishing he'd done it sooner.

The Cougars had their best defensive effort of the season, holding the Aztecs to 273 yards of total offense in the 24-21 victory.

"It's probably the most fun I've had in six years," said Mendenhall, who stepped in as defensive coordinator. "It was very invigorating and I just love being with the players again. Sometimes as a head coach, you get removed. And it was by choice. I have no one to blame but myself, but I just love being with the players and having more impact on their lives and how they performed on Saturday than I had had."

It was the first game in six years Mendenhall put his head coaching duties aside and immersed himself in the defense.

"I spent every minute, but a half hour per day, in the defensive room coaching the defense, designing the schemes and strategies and building the culture," Mendenhall said. "And I spent a half hour per day in the head coaches office, which is exact opposite percentages of what it had been prior to that. So, from running practice, to running meetings to designing scheme and strategy and game planning, I basically took on the roll of an assistant coach as well as a head coach last week."

 

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