In his own football-centric metaphor, the clock has not expired on Bronco Mendenhall's coaching career. He's in an extended TV timeout in the middle of the third quarter.
"It's kind of like being dead and seeing what they'll say at your funeral, and you're still alive," he says.
In the first football-free fall since he was in the first grade, Mendenhall has spent time learning and reflecting, resting and reloading.
He's spent a lot of time talking to ex-players. "Not a single player or text has mentioned a game," he said. "Not a single player or text has mentioned a score. Not a single player or text has mentioned a season. They've mentioned things that happened at practice: 'Hey coach, remember when it was a rainy day coming out at practice, you slipped and your notebook went flying?'"
Mendenhall has also spent a lot of time talking to the media and talking to the public. He co-hosts his own podcast. He opened up his Montana ranch to ESPN for a big feature this summer. And this week he appeared on College GameDay's podcast to pitch himself as a top choice in the 2022-23 cycle.
"I would argue there's not a more prepared, rested, and focused head coach on Earth in Power 5 than I am right now," Mendenhall said, when asked by Rece Davis how he'd respond to a hypothetical AD who asked him why he wouldn't step away again two years down the line. "All that's happened is solidifying my true intent, which is delivering, I think, really, really strong results, especially to rebuilding programs. BYU was struggling when I inherited that program and we won for a long time. UVa, that was a struggling program when we started, and five bowl-eligible seasons in six years hadn't been done in like 22 years.
"That's going to happen again wherever I get to coach and it will happen for a long time, simply because of the pause. I love developing young people; I don't think there's a more impactful way to do it (than college football.) And, man, I'm young. I'm only 56, that's only getting warmed up."
When asked to explain his ideal job, Mendenhall of course didn't list a specific program, even with three open jobs on the market right now. But it's interesting to me to imagine Mendenhall pitching himself at Nebraska.
Bronco himself said he specializes in rebuilding downtrodden programs, and Nebraska has never been more downtrodden. The Huskers have endured five straight losing seasons, and they're working on a sixth -- and that's not to say the Big Red had things figured out before they started losing two of every three games. From Bill Callahan, to Bo Pelini, to Mike Riley, to Scott Frost, Nebraska has been rudderless for close to two decades now.
The program could use a calm, steady hand, who can rip the thing down to the studs and build it back up the right way. The players and the staff in the building need a Bronco Mendenhall: a coach who will build them up as football players and as people, who has proven that football development goes hand-in-hand with personal development.
But would Trev Alberts and the Nebraska fan base have the patience for a Bronco Mendenhall? That's the ultimate question, isn't it? Mendenhall would be a meat and vegetables choice for a starving program -- and the fan base might just demand a double cheeseburger, curly fries and a strawberry shake.
Would Nebraska accept Bronco talking about classroom accomplishments and community service during a midweek press conference if the 2023 Huskers start 2-4?
Bronco might take issue with my assumption that 2023 may not represent an immediate improvement from 2022, but past history indicates it'd be close. His first BYU team improved his predecessor's by a game, while his first Virginia game was two games worse.
In the 15 seasons that followed, though, Mendenhall's teams were bowl eligible 15 times. That's a trade-off Nebraska fans would take today, right? A so-so 2023 for a string of, say, eight straight bowl seasons from 2024 to '31?
Again, Bronco wasn't pitching himself for the Nebraska job specifically. But my mind went immediately to Lincoln when he said what you'll read below.
"The level to me isn't as important as the purpose and the alignment. I think the alignment and purpose excludes level and includes leadership. Any program that wants exceptional results on the field -- they have to want that. That has to happen because that helps the young people become and be supported.
"If they want young people treated really well, who do exceptional in school, who give back to the community, who are actually looking to add value to the place that they are and are aligned with that place while they're winning games, yeah, the level isn't as important as the alignment. The kids have to become something exceptional, otherwise it's just a game, and I'm not okay with it just being a game."
"If there's great alignment with an exceptional candidate that fits a place with almost guaranteed results, man, I would look hard at that."