LOGAN – Following a week of rumors, speculation and even some fans pouring over flight tracker sights, Utah State has announced its next football head coach in Bronco Mendenhall. The news was first reported Thursday evening by ESPN’s Pete Thamel before being officially announced by USU Friday morning. The hire officially ended the tenure of interim head coach Nate Dreiling and gives the Aggies their first full-time coach since the July firing of Blake Anderson.
“Bronco is one of the most experienced coaches in college football. His leadership, proven record, and deep understanding of the game make him the ideal choice to elevate our program,” said Utah State Athletics Director Diana Sabau in a statement. “Bronco’s success goes far beyond football. He has a profound connection and care for developing young men. His student-athletes are proven leaders, and he has consistently built programs that emphasize character, discipline, and excellence in every aspect of their lives.”
Mendenhall, a native of Utah and graduate of American Fork High School has 18 years of head coaching experience at the FBS level. His most notable accomplishments were with BYU where he spent 11 years from 2005 to 2015, going 99-43 and going to a bowl game every year of his tenure with the Cougars. His time in Provo revitalized a program that had struggled following the retirement of LaVell Edwards.
In 2016, Mendenhall made the move to Virginia. Following a 2-10 initial season, the Cavaliers won at least five games over the next five years, including a 9-5 season that featured an appearance in the Orange Bowl.
After six years at the head of the Virginia football program, Mendenhall stepped down and took a three-year hiatus from coaching. In December of 2023, he made his return by agreeing to take on the head coaching spot at New Mexico. This past season, Mendenhall guided the Lobos to a 5-7 record. While not impressive on its face, it was the most wins by a New Mexico team since 2016.
“My passion is developing young people and transforming football programs to reach their full potential,” Mendenhall said. “Utah State provides a great opportunity to do both and allows a family focus that is essential to me and Holly. We look forward to adding to Utah State’s rich tradition and striving for football excellence.”
Cache Valley Daily obtained a copy of Mendenhall’s offer sheet detailing the six-year $12.9 million dollar deal the Aggies extended to him. The base salary begins at $2 million, escalating to $2.318 million by the sixth and final year of the deal (2031). It also includes a $3.5 million pool for assistant coaches, escalating by $500,000 each year to ultimately reach $6 million by 2031.
These numbers are a significant increase monetarily to what Anderson received in his contract extension following his Mountain West championship season in 2021. Anderson’s total salary was $1.325 million in 2022 and would have gone up to $1.575 in 2027 had he served the rest of his contract. The assistant coach pool was also just $2.5 million with no escalation. That means that while Anderson’s salary was only about $700,000 less per year, the difference in assistant coach pool rises to as much as $3.5 million when comparing the final years of each contract.
The buyout of Mendenhall’s contract begins with a payment to Utah State of $3 million for the first year, dropping to $2.5 million on Feb. 1, 2026. For each successive year of the contract, the buyout drops another $500,000 with the decrease occurring on Feb. 1 each year.
