I am a huge BYU fan. I won’t hide from that fact. I love watching the BYU football team take the field and compete on a weekly basis in the fall. I love watching the basketball team go in and battle especially against Gonzaga. I haven’t watched much baseball but when I do watch them I like what I see. Colton Shaver definitely makes BYU baseball even more exciting.
What I don’t like is the fact that the head coach of the BYU football team shows very little if any emotion over the course of a game.
Dec 22, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Bronco Mendenhall reacts after a fumble recovery against the Memphis Tigers during the fourth quarter in the Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park. Memphis won 55-48 in a double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
He has even said at times that it’s just another game that we have to go out and play and execute. That is great.
All teams have to execute and play well in order to win. But many teams that win have a chip on their shoulders or a “we’re gonna kick your butt” mentality and it is something that I believe the BYU football program has lacked for the last five or six years.
The most emotion I see out of Bronco Mendenhall is when he is sprinting down the sideline to call a timeout that he doesn’t need. In the final regular season game of 2014 against Cal, there was some life from Mendenhall and a hope that he might come out of his shell.
As you can tell from the picture that was taken at the Miami Beach Bowl back in December, there was very little excitement.
I know that LaVell Edwards didn’t show too much excitement in his time at BYU and that it always seemed like he had a scowl on his face. Ok it didn’t seem like it. He did.
Oct 3, 2014; Provo, UT, USA; Former Brigham Young Cougars head coach Lavell Edwards speaks during a ceremony in honor of former Brigham Young quarterback Jim McMahon during halftime of the game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Utah State Aggies at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Utah State won 35-20. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
But when he won a big game or something big happened for his football program there was a great deal of excitement.
Players want to be excited to play the game. They want to play with energy, confidence, and intensity. There has to be a hunger there to win games and I believe that starts with the head coach.
If the head coach goes into a game telling himself, the media, his players, and the fans that this is just another game then I believe he is in trouble.
One of the best examples is the Utah State game from 2014. BYU fans will argue that because Taysom Hill left the game with an injury, USU was able to steal their first win at LaVell Edwards Stadium in 16 years.
Do you remember that it was 28-14 at halftime in that game? USU came to Provo with a chip on its shoulder and a mentality that they were going to get physical and come to win. It wasn’t just another game to them. It was “The Game.” It is a mentality that Bronco Mendenhall needs to take when he plays the Utes, Aggies, or any other team for that matter.
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Considering that BYU is an independent and they have to win every game in order to receive attention for the College Football Playoff, it would be good to take this approach and show some emotion. Let it rub off on the players. Come to the stadium with an edge. Be willing to get in the face of a player who isn’t performing or put someone on the bench who isn’t doing their job.
Nov 30, 2013; Reno, NV, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Bronco Mendenhall talks to the referee late into the 4th quarter of their NCAA football game with Nevada Wolf Pack at MacKay Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen/USA TODAY Sports. BYU won 28-23.
No more of this nice guy routine. Step up and start some fires in the minds of your players and get them to play with that intensity that will help BYU football become relevant again and beat up on teams like Nebraska, Michigan, UCLA, and other Power 5 Conference schools.
With the future schedules that BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe is putting together, you will have to in order to be successful.
I am putting the celebration from the Utah State locker room after they beat BYU in 2014 to show Bronco what a little emotion, energy, and excitement will do for your team.