Bronco Mendenhall and Nick Howell are set for a reunion.
After the two coached together for more than 16 seasons, primarily at BYU but also at Virgnia, Howell landed as Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator two years ago while Mendenhall temporarily stepped away from the game.
Now, Mendenhall is back as a head coach -- at New Mexico -- and Howell is poised to again assume a top-level defensive staff position.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Howell is exiting Clark Lea's Vanderbilt staff to join Mendenhall at New Mexico. The deal is expected to be finalized in the coming days for Howell, who has both ACC and SEC experience.
The two coaches worked together from 2005 through 2021, with Howell starting as a graduate assistant at BYU and then growing his role under Mendenhall with the Cougars and on to Virginia.
Howell then became Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator under Lea, a heralded defensive mind who has opted to take more control of the Commodores' play-calling duties moving into a pivotal 2024 season.
While Howell has coordinated defenses and coached several spots, he's most known for his work with the secondary and defensive backs.