BYU football: Y. knows there's work to be done

PROVO — Though BYU finished the season with two difficult losses and placed third in the Mountain West Conference, don't expect major changes in the program going into the 2009 season.

Not that coach Bronco Mendenhall is satisfied with the way things went for his team, but he believes the foundation of the program remains strong, he said in an interview Thursday with the Deseret News.

After a year that saw Mountain West Conference rivals Utah and TCU — both of which will end up in the top 10 of the final rankings — surpass the two-time defending champion Cougars, Mendenhall knows there's work to be done.

"It's really just improvement," he said. "The idea of drastic or radical changes, anything like that, is not who we are. It's simply a matter of getting better in every facet. At this point of the year, that's really all I can say."

While BYU posted a 10-3 record in 2008, and is 32-7 over the past three years combined, Mendenhall understands the prevailing feeling of disappointment among many fans, especially in comparison to what the Utes accomplished — an undefeated season, a berth in the BCS and a dominating victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

"Now the idea simply is, (going 10-3) is not enough. We're saying that internally. We don't have to hear it from anybody else. Our goals and expectations are higher than any from the outside," Mendenhall said.

"This has always been about our personal best and always about improvement and moving the program forward, which I believe we did again this year. I believe the teams we lost to this year were the best teams we've lost to since I've been the coach.

"Can we improve? No question. Are there areas to emphasize? Certainly," he said. "But the numbers certainly say, and the consistency certainly says, that of the 119 Division I football programs, it's one of the nation's best. That is what our goal was to begin with. To sustain greatness is through conference championships. That's the bottom line."

Classes at BYU resumed Monday, and Mendenhall met with his players that day for a meeting.

"They're determined," he said, describing their overall mood.

Every year since he became the head coach prior to the 2005 season, Mendenhall has created a theme for the upcoming year, such as "Band of Brothers," "Raise the Bar" and "Quest for Perfection."

But the coach doesn't anticipate a new slogan for 2009.

"My sentiment now is, there's nothing left to say. All the things we've said equal BYU football. From this point on, that's all that will be said. Not that we can't grow and improve, but I think all those things I've tried to educate so thoroughly why and who we are that it really defines our program," Mendenhall said.