Aug 2nd, 2007
Winning in sports, it takes more than skill
An article in the Deseret News today by Dick Harmon brought out an important lesson in sports and athletics: skill alone does not a champion make.
I think I speak for the majority of BYU football fans when I say that hiring Bronco Mendenhall was the best decision the athletic program and university administrators made after Gary Crowton’s departure (come on, he’s a great offensive coordinator, not head coach).
The thing that sets Mendenhall apart as a coach is that he relies on principle-based leadership to run his team. The principles of accountability, tradition and responsibility are only a few of the pillars he and the program’s success are built upon.
Of course this isn’t anything new, Herb Brooks taught us that skill alone won’t get a championship trophy onto our shelf; he understood that working as a team and playing intelligently are keys to victory.
In addition to changing the uniforms from the hideous tan, blue and white back to the respectable, well-known BYU blue uniforms with the signature ‘Y’, Mendenhall also tapped into the legacy that is BYU football. As a result of his dedication to detail, perfectionism and principle-based leadership in only his second year as the head coach, BYU won the Mountain West Conference (MWC) outright, holds claim to the second longest winning streak in the nation, returned BYU to the top 25 NCAA football polls, won a bowl game — against Crowton and the Oregon Ducks, got BYU fans excited about football again and won the MWC Coach of the Year title.
Don’t believe he’s for real? Ask running back Fahu Tahi, a starter who sat out a game because he violated team rules. Mendenhall is the real deal and I’m happy that the blood flowing through my veins is blue, BYU blue!
(Photo Credit: Jaren Wilkey/BYU)
