Is Bronco a lifer at BYU?

Is Bronco Mendenhall a lifer at BYU?

Not necessarily.

He may not even be a lifer as a football coach.

Mendenhall said at BYU’s football media day this summer that he had extended his contract for three more years, taking him through the 2014 season. He went on to say that BYU wanted to make a longer pact than that,but he refused.

Who turns down guaranteed money?

“I’m very realistic,” he said. “There’s a lot on the line going independent. I want to be worthy of the position that I have, and I give everything I have, and I’m not saying I won’t go farther than that. But I’m willing to lead the charge through independence and then reevaluate.”

The interesting part is that he also said: “How can you sign a 10-year deal? How do any of us know where you’re going to be in 10 years from now?”

Most people — especially coaches — would love that kind of security. Maybe Mendenhall would like to coach elsewhere in the next decade. Just as likely, he wanted the option of retiring when he got tired of the grind.

I don’t pretend to be a mind reader on Mendenhall, but my sense is that he isn’t necessarily a guy who feels he has to spend his life as a football coach. Nor is he a guy who feels he has to be in Provo. Having coached at New Mexico, Louisiana Tech, Oregon Sate and Northern Arizona as an assistant, and played at Oregon State, he’s not necessarily a Provo fixture.

If he did leave, though, he has already executed a shrewd move by making Brandon Doman the offensive coordinator. If Doman does well, he’d be the hands-down favorite to replace Mendenhall.

Mendenhall obviously wants to see this independence thing through for a few years. He might actually leave sooner if BYU does well. He could say he took the Cougars in a new direction (independence) and didn’t bail out beforehand. If they don’t do well, he might feel obligated to stay until he gets things fixed.

Either way, BYU looks well positioned for the future when it comes to coaches.