New UVA coach Bronco Mendenhall adds eight assistant coaches to staff
New Virginia Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall has added eight assistant coaches to his staff, the school announced on Saturday.
Six coaches from BYU’s current staff will follow Mendenhall to Virginia; offensive coordinator Robert Anae, running backs coach Mark Atuaia, quarterbacks coach Jason Beck, offensive line coach Garett Tujague, defensive coordinator Nick Howell and special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga. Virginia’s wide receivers coach Marques Hagans will remain with the Cougars.
Mendenhall also hired former East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill as an assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach. McNeill was fired on Dec. 4 after finishing 5–7 this season. He went 42–34 in six seasons with the program, and made four bowl appearances.
“The staff I have assembled to coach our team at Virginia represents the qualities that will help us be successful and work towards achieving our goals,” Mendenhall said in a statement. “As a group, these coaches bring great personal diversity and backgrounds, are experienced teachers and they have a remarkable history of success during their careers. My selection principles were to find coaches who display fanatical effort, are fiercely competitive and compassionate teachers, are dynamic developers of young men and who possess amazing professional competence.”
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Mendenhall was hired by Virginia last week after coaching the Cougars from 2005–15, posting a 99–42 record in 11 seasons as the head coach. BYU made 10 straight bowl games during Mendenhall’s tenure and won Mountain West titles in 2006 and 2007.
He replaced Mike London at Virginia, who stepped down as head coach of the Cavaliers after six seasons. Mendenhall agreed to a five-year contract, with annual compensation beginning at $3.25 million.
He will coach the Cougars (9–3) when they face Utah (9–3) in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 19.
