The Secret Meeting

The Story

Yesterday, on Quinn Gooch’s blog, (http://deepshadesofblue.com) there was posted an excellent article about a secret meeting held between a group of defensive players, and then interim AD, Tom Holmoe. This article is a must read for any cougar fan, and gives great insight into the backroom dealings and player interactions in the hiring process of coach Mendenhall.

The Rest of the Story

There is another piece of the hiring story, that I learned from a friend close to the program. Apparently, when Bronco first interviewed, His loyalty to Coach Crowton led him to treat the interview, not so much as an employment opportunity, but as a forum to try to convince the group that they had not given coach Crowton a fair chance, that the program was making some progress, and that they had made a mistake in letting him go. (I don’t know the specifics, but that was basically how it was relayed to me.) I was told that after his first interview, Bronco figured he probably wouldn’t be considered after that discussion. And the offer was made to Kyle Whittingham.

The Second Interview

But when “Benedict Whittingham” turned his back on the program, fertilized his goatee, and moved into his office up north, Bronco got another opportunity. (No doubt, helped greatly by the secret meeting that Quinn Gooch referred to.) This time, Bronco went in with a new focus. Armed with a vision, he was also prepared to make his case to be the guy, to turn the perceived negatives into strengths, and to take the program back to greatness. The rest is well know to Cougar fans young and old.

What Might have Been

I have often asked myself, what might have happened had coach Crowton been given a few more years, or had coach Whittingham taken the job, where would the program be? It’s possible that coach Crowton may have figured out the unique aspects of BYU and turned things around. I think we can look at the U and see what Whit would have done. (Glad we dodged that bullet.) But I think we can all be grateful that whatever the back story, or elements that played into it, Coach Mendenhall was the eventual, and totally right choice to put the cougars back on top.