The coaching search may be over for the New Mexico Lobos. According to reports, the Lobos are targeting Bronco Mendenhall as the football program’s next head coach.
New Mexico Targeting Bronco Mendenhall As Next Head Coach
The Lobos started their search just over a week ago when they relieved head coach Danny Gonzales of his duties. He went 11-32 over the last four seasons for New Mexico and failed to make a bowl game.
His best season was in 2023 when the Lobos went 4-8, including an upset win over Fresno State 25-17. That wasn’t enough to save Gonzales, as the program wasn’t going anywhere.
But now, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Lobos have zeroed in on Mendenhall as their next leader.
Mendenhall is looking to return to coaching after a year away. He stepped away from his position as head coach at Virginia after the 2021 season to spend more time with his family. Apparently, two years was enough, as he is the top target for the Lobos.
Mendenhall started his head coaching career at BYU in 2005 by taking over for Gary Crowton. He started out going 6-6 before winning double-digit games in four of the next five seasons. During his 11 seasons as the head coach, Mendenhall finished with a 99-43 record, including making a bowl game in all 11 seasons, going 6-5 in those games.
After the 2015 season, Mendenhall took the job at Virginia for a new challenge. He finished his first season at 2-10 but finished at or above 0.500 in the following five seasons, going 34-38. He led Virginia to the Orange Bowl in 2019 and went 1-2 in bowl games for the Cavaliers.
Mendenhall is a popular coach among his players and will be a revitalizing voice in New Mexico. His offenses are consistently high-powered with a spread-based Air Raid attack. His team in 2021, led by Brennan Armstrong and Dontayvion Wicks, were one of the best offenses in college football.
With the New Mexico program needing a fresh start, Mendenhall is a great choice to bring life into it.