Who are considered the best coaches in the Mountain West? The Group of Five?

Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall watches during game against Miami, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Mendenhall was rated a top Group of Five coach, ahead of his first season leading New Mexico. | Lynne Sladky

Bronco Mendenhall has yet to coach at game at New Mexico, but he is nonetheless considered one of the best coaches at the Group of Five level.

At least according to The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, who yearly ranks the best college football coaches who who lead non-Power Four programs.

Mendenhall comes in at No. 9 in Vannini’s rankings, ahead of the 2024 season, second among Mountain West Conference coaches.

Of Mendenhall, who pledged when hired in early December that he would get the Lobos to a place of “sustained success, continued success and excellence,” Vannini had high praise.

“This might have been the sneaky-best hire of the coaching carousel, all things considered,” he wrote. “Mendenhall is 135-81 as a head coach, regularly won eight-plus games at BYU and took Virginia to an Orange Bowl before stepping away from the game. New Mexico is one of the toughest jobs in the FBS, but he’s been there before. There’s reason to be excited in Albuquerque.”

The top-rated MW coach was Air Force’s Troy Calhoun, who came in at No. 4.

Other MW coaches that garnered mention were Fresno State’s Jeff Tedford (No. 5) and UNLV’s Barry Odom (No. 15).

Utah State’s Blake Anderson, fresh of a second straight 6-7 campaign, was included in the just-missed category, along with San Jose State’s Ken Niumatalolo and San Diego State’s Sean Lewis.

Per Vannini, the best coaches in the Group of Five, a moniker that may soon go away with the expansion of the College Football Playoff and the demise of the Pac-12, are Liberty’s Jamie Chadwell, UTSA’s Jeff Traylor and Tulane’s Jon Sumrall.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/considered-best-coaches-mountain-west-233000996.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2024-03-08 23:30:00

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