Bronco Mendenhall wasn’t New Mexico’s head coach for long, but he did help give that program some hope in a short amount of time.
The Lobos were a win away from bowl-eligibility and went 5-7 overall in 2024. But Mendenhall has decided to become the head coach at Utah State for next season, leaving UNM to find another head coach for a second consecutive year.
Here are some names UNM might consider.
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Montana State Head Coach Brent Vigen
Considering Vigen has reportedly been considered for other Mountain West head coaching jobs, it would make sense for New Mexico to consider him as well.
Vigen has been Montana State’s head coach since 2021. That first year, he led the Bobcats to their first national championship appearance since 1984. The year after that, Montana State reached the national semifinals before losing to the eventual champion, South Dakota State.
And in 2024, the Bobcats went undefeated during the regular season – including a victory at New Mexico – and have the No. 1 seed in the FCS Playoffs.
Vigen also knows the Mountain West. He was an offensive coordinator at Wyoming under head coach Craig Bohl from 2014-20, most notably coaching now-NFL star quarterback Josh Allen.
USC Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn
Among Power Four coordinators in the region, Lynn could be a coach to think about.
Lynn helped USC make massive strides in his first year there. And he’s regarded as a rising star in the coaching profession.
He was previously the defensive coordinator at UCLA in 2023. The Bruins were top 10 in the country in total defense (301.5 yards per game allowed) and 14th in scoring defense (18.4 points per game allowed). UCLA allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game in the nation with 80.8.
Previously, Lynn was a safeties coach with the Baltimore Ravens and worked with the Houston Texas’ secondaries before that. He was also an assistant for the Los Angeles Chargers when his father, Anthony Lynn, was the head coach there and focused primarily on linebackers. He’s also worked for the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets in the past decade.
SMU Offensive Coordinator Casey Woods
Woods is a successful coordinator at a current Power Four school, and his name has come up for other head coaching vacancies.
The Mustangs were eighth in the FBS in scored points per game (38.7) and 16th in yards per game (454.9) in 2023, their last year in the AAC. SMU, which made it to the ACC Championship in its first season in the conference, was fifth in the FBS with 39.2 points per game and was 21st in the country with 441.8 yards per game after the regular season.
Previously, Woods was a tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Missouri. He’s also been an assistant at UAB, Arkansas State, and Auburn.
If Woods were interested, UNM would be smart to consider him.
UNLV Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion
Marion knows the Mountain West extremely well.
He is in just his second season as UNLV’s offensive coordinator. He’s done well with the Rebels and has other coaching experience all over the country.
In 2023, UNLV was 44th in the FBS with 412.7 yards per game and 22nd with 34.4 points per game. The Rebels have continued to be successful on offense this season, even after quarterback Matthew Sluka decided to sit out the rest of the year, as they reached the Mountain West Championship again.
Before this, Marion was a passing game coordinator at Texas in 2022, a wide receivers coach at Pitt in 2021, a wide receivers coach at Hawaii in 2020, an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at William & Mary in 2019, an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Howard in 2017 and 2018, and a running backs coach at Oklahoma Baptist in 2016.
Idaho Head Coach Jason Eck
Eck is one of the top head coaches in the FCS, and he has familiarity with the region.
Eck is in his third season as Idaho’s head coach. The Vandals went 7-4 during the regular season in 2022, earning a trip to the postseason for the first time since 2016, and were 9-4 last year as they reached the FCS quarterfinals. They are 9-3 after the 2024 regular season and have the No. 8 seed in the FCS Playoffs.
Before that, he was the offensive coordinator at South Dakota State from 2019-21 and the team’s offensive line coach from 2016-19. Going back to 2000, he’s also been an assistant at Montana State, Minnesota State-Mankato, Western Illinois, Hampton, Ball State, Winona State, Colorado, and Wisconsin.
Eck has proven he can take a program to the next level and is the exact type of coach New Mexico would want.
