BYU football: Long and Mendenhall will not fret about their history

PROVO — It's been six years since BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall worked as New Mexico's defensive coordinator. But whenever the Cougars and Lobos meet, as they will Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium, the ties between Mendenhall and his mentor, Lobo coach Rocky Long, are hard to ignore.

Following the 2002 season, Mendenhall left Albuquerque for Provo to become BYU's D-coordinator. Three years later, he was hired as the Cougars' head coach. Mendenhall, who coached at UNM for five seasons, starting in 1998, has tried to apply lessons he learned from Long.

"What he creates is a toughness, a work ethic and a consistency that's admirable. I learned a lot being a coach for him and spending a lot of time with him," Mendenhall said. "I don't remember a given team meeting where his goal wasn't to be the most physical (team) in the league. Practices were structured like that — very competitive, almost adversarial.

"It's a very competitive football team that thrives on toughness and heart. ... (Long is) very competitive and he's very tough. He demands a lot. All those things I've tried to emulate, at least within my personality, and this place, knowing I will never be him. But I did learn those lessons from him."

Mendenhall's success at BYU comes as no surprise to Long, who promoted Mendenhall to associate head coach at UNM in 2002.

"Bronco's done a great job. ... We always knew he was going to be a great head coach as soon as he got the chance," Long said Tuesday. "It's just too bad that it happens to be in the same conference. Otherwise, I'd be really rooting for him."

Long, who is in his 11th season at the helm of the Lobos, is the dean of MWC coaches in terms of longevity. He has guided UNM to five bowl games in the past six seasons. Mendenhall praised Long's ability to win consistently.

"New Mexico is always there at the end," Mendenhall said. "Sometimes they don't start the fastest, sometimes there's a drop here or there, but in the end, it seems like they're winning football games, and some that most people don't think they should. That comes from their head coach."

Asked if he sees any similarities between New Mexico and BYU based on what Mendenhall has instilled in his players, Long replied, "Our situation at New Mexico is completely different than the situation at BYU. So Bronco had to adapt to the institution and the system that's in place there, and he's done a great job doing that. The programs are only similar in that Bronco teaches tough, hard-nosed football, and we try to teach that here."