Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Head coach |
Team | Utah State |
Conference | MW |
Record | 0–0 |
Biographical details | |
Born | Alpine, Utah, U.S. | February 21, 1966
Playing career | |
1984–1985 | Snow |
1986–1987 | Oregon State |
Position(s) | Defensive back |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1989–1990 | Oregon State (GA) |
1991–1992 | Snow (DC/DB) |
1993 | Northern Arizona (DB) |
1994 | Northern Arizona (co-DC/DB) |
1995 | Oregon State (DL) |
1996 | Oregon State (DC/DB) |
1997 | Louisiana Tech (DB) |
1998–2001 | New Mexico (DC/DB) |
2002 | New Mexico (AHC/DC/DB) |
2003–2004 | BYU (DC/DB) |
2005–2015 | BYU |
2016–2021 | Virginia |
2024 | New Mexico |
2025–present | Utah State |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 140–88 |
Bowls | 7–7 |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
2 Mountain West (2006, 2007) 1 ACC Coastal (2019) | |
Awards | |
Mountain West Coach of the Year (2006) | |
Marc Bronco Clay Mendenhall (born February 21, 1966)[1] is an American college football coach who is the head coach of Utah State University. He was previously the head coach at the University of New Mexico (UNM) for the 2024 season,[2] the University of Virginia from 2016 to 2021,[3][4] and Brigham Young University (BYU) from 2005 to 2015. He has a career record of 140 victories and 88 losses and has recorded fourteen postseason bowl game appearances with seven victories.
Mendenhall is known for his unorthodox methods and "Earned Not Given" motto, even having players earn their jersey numbers each season.[5][6] In 2019, Mendenhall became the first Virginia coach to bring both the Commonwealth Cup and Jefferson-Eppes Trophy to Charlottesville at the same time, and his Cavaliers also won the South's Oldest Rivalry in the same season. He took Virginia to the program's first Orange Bowl.
More than 60 of Mendenhall's players have been signed to NFL contracts since 2005, including Ezekiel Ansah, the #5 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.[7] Mendenhall is also known for graduating his players, and his program ranked seventh for most Academic All-Americans during his tenure of over a decade.[7]
Mendenhall comes from a notable football family. His father played defensive end for BYU in the 1950s, while Bronco himself played safety for Oregon State University (OSU) where he was named team captain his senior season. His brother, Mat Mendenhall, started at defensive end for the Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII.