▁to ▁Ut ah ▁def ensive ▁coordin ator ▁K yle ▁Wh itting ham , ▁who ▁had ▁played ▁for ▁Edwards ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁However , ▁when ▁Wh itting ham ▁opt ed ▁instead ▁to ▁become ▁head ▁coach ▁at ▁Ut ah , ▁the ▁C oug ars ▁instead ▁offered ▁the ▁job ▁to ▁BY U ▁def ensive ▁coordin ator ▁Bron co ▁M enden hall , ▁who ▁accepted . ▁W itting ham ▁h ired ▁Jo ey ▁Young ▁of ▁BY U ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ut ah , ▁and ▁has ▁had ▁great ▁success . ▁ ▁Bron co ▁M enden hall ▁brought ▁stability ▁and ▁success ▁to ▁the ▁BY U ▁program ▁after ▁the ▁Crow ton ▁years . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁h iring , ▁the ▁ 3 8 - year - old ▁M enden hall ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁young est ▁Division ▁ 1 ▁football ▁head ▁coach ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁As ▁the ▁legend ary ▁La V ell ▁Edwards ▁told ▁him ▁shortly ▁after ▁being ▁h ired , ▁" ‘ You ▁have ▁a ▁t ough ▁job .’ ▁Then ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁pause ▁and ▁silence ,” ▁says ▁M enden hall . ▁“ It ▁wasn ’ t ▁very ▁comfort ing ▁to ▁hear ▁that . ▁But ▁then ▁he ▁just ▁said , ▁‘ But ▁it ’ s ▁a ▁great ▁job .’ ” ▁ ▁M enden hall ▁led ▁BY U ▁to ▁a ▁bow l ▁game ▁every ▁season ▁he ▁was ▁head ▁coach ▁and ▁saw ▁Top ▁ 2 5 ▁finish es ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 ,