Bronco Mendenhall is known for his elite defenses, but after he left Virginia in 2021, he took time away from the game. He’s back as head coach of the New Mexico Lobos and brings with him an impressive staff full of experienced coaches and recruiters.
Who will be on New Mexico’s coaching staff in 2024?
New Mexico Lobos Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Bronco Mendenhall
Mendenhall is returning to his western roots after years on the East Coast, where he was head coach at Virginia from 2016 to 2021. He spent five years at New Mexico in the late 1990s and early 2000s as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach and is now back as the head coach.
Mendenhall moved from New Mexico to BYU as defensive coordinator in 2003 and was promoted to head coach in 2005. At BYU, his defenses were suffocating and he rode that unit to a 99-43 career record with the Cougars.
He moved to Virginia in 2016 where he led the Cavaliers to a 36-38 record before stepping down in 2021.
After a three-year hiatus, he decided 2024 was the year to return to coaching and he’s surrounded himself with a talented staff at New Mexico.
Defensive Coordinator, Nick Howell
Mendenhall’s right-hand man, Nick Howell had followed the coach from BYU (where he got his start in coaching in 2007) to Virginia where he was the defensive coordinator for all six years of Mendenhall’s tenure.
Howell spent the last two years as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Vanderbilt. Now, he rejoins Mendenhall at New Mexico where they’ll share defensive coaching duties.
Offensive Coordinator, Jason Beck
After working with quarterbacks at Virginia under Mendenhall, Jason Beck moved to Syracuse for the same position and was eventually promoted to offensive coordinator for the Orange.
He was also with Mendenhall at BYU from 2013-2015 and while he’s not listed as the quarterbacks coach, it’s assumed that he will be working with that position group.
Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, Shane Hunter
After a stint as defensive coordinator at Snow College, Shane Hunter joined Mendenhall’s BYU staff as a graduate assistant and was promoted to inside linebackers and safeties coach when he followed Mendenhall to Virginia.
He’s been at Utah Tech since Mendenhall stepped away, but they’re reunited at New Mexico. Hunter will serve as the special teams coordinator on the Lobos coaching staff from 2024.
Wide Receivers Coach, Micah Simon
One of the youngest players on staff, Micah Simon comes to New Mexico after just one year as an on-field coach, after he spent the 2023 season as receivers coach at Northern Colorado.
Simon played for BYU in the late 2010s and bounced around NFL and CFL teams after that. He began his coaching career in 2022 at Syracuse as an offensive analyst.
Running Backs Coach, Kirk Garner
Kirk Garner is also relatively new to the coaching profession, spending the last year at East Tennessee State after two years as an offensive quality control coach at Vanderbilt.
Garner got his start in coaching under Mendenhall on the defensive side of the ball at Virginia as a graduate assistant.
Tight Ends Coach, Matt Johns
Matt Johns has been a part of a very creative offensive staff at William & Mary for the last five seasons. There, he held a variety of titles including receivers and tight ends coach, quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
He too was a defensive graduate assistant under Mendenhall at Virginia and he’s forged his own path on the way to New Mexico.
Offensive Line Coach, Famika Anae
An assistant offensive line coach under Mendenhall at both BYU and Virginia, Famika Anae spent the last two years at Campbell University in North Carolina.
Anae has spent time at Texas A&M Commerce and Dixie State between stints with Mendenhall. He’s considered a solid recruiter and brought one of his best offensive linemen with him to Albuquerque.
Edges Coach, Jan Jorgensen
One of the few coaches on staff without extensive coaching overlap with Mendenhall in the past, Jan Jorgensen has spent the last two years as a defensive analyst at BYU, his second such stint.
He has former coordinator experience at Snow College and Orange Coast College. He was a standout edge rusher for BYU under Mendenhall in the mid-2000s, racking up 28.5 sacks and making three All-Mountain West teams.
Defensive Line, Donte Wilkins
Donte Wilkins got his start in football in scouting for UCLA and Virginia before becoming a graduate assistant for Mendenhall with the Cavaliers.
Wilkins most recently was the defensive line coach for Lafayette and played four years at Virginia, the final under Mendenhall.
Defensive Backs, Charles Mack
Another young up-and-comer, Charles Mack played at Richmond before joining Mendenhall’s Virginia staff as a graduate assistant, spending two years on offense and switching to defense when Mendenhall left.
Mack spent last year as the Director of Player Personnel and safeties coach at VMI. He has scouting experience but hasn’t coached outside of Virginia.
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