here we [Music] go it's a hot day in Las Vegas but we continue to roll on here at Circa Resort and Casino at 2024 Mountain West media days and we are very pleased now to welcome in an old friend of the Mountain West Bronco menen Hall the head coach now of the New Mexico Lobos Jesse Curts Bridget Howard and the head coach of the Lobos uh Bronco menen Hall Bronco it is wonderful having you back you were part of this league when we started this thing back in 1999 ironically as an assistant at New Mexico of course you were a head coach in this league as well at BYU uh kind of a trip down memory lane for you a little bit it is I was talking to my wife Holly in between different interviews today and it was just like this is I'm not quite sure how to make sense of the feelings because it feels like I'm coming back but in a new role which is now different and the league has changed and so sure it's it's great I'm really enjoying it well you were always one of the great molders of minds and and and raised outstanding uh young man on the football field so we're thrilled to have you doing that once again here on behalf of the league in New Mexico uh you you took a step back for for a short time after leaving your head coaching job at the University of Virginia in what ways did that give you some perspective what did you learn about yourself and how how did that pave the way to getting back into coaching really good question and still kind of working to wrestle to define the answers but my wife and I had been a head coach and I say my wife and I because that's what she is the head coach oh my gosh so we'd been a head coach for 17 years 11 at BYU six at the University of Virginia at the last our last year at Virginia uh we became empty nesters and really didn't talk about it much but I felt man is this really what we're supposed to do the next chapter of our lives and so pause built a home in Montana a ranch in Montana but gosh the number of texts and phone messages from former players over a 2-year period and the cumulative effect of that where only one of those texts for two years mentioned a game score or a season every other message was about a moment of advice or counsel and the sample size was so big and my wife and I just we didn't start paying attention but the the number became so significant we were we um it became compelling to us that we um are supposed to influence and impact young people and what we love is the world of college football and so the chance to redo it again or do it again was important but also at a place uh that we could make a difference and I think we all crave being wanted and needed and when there's programs that possibly have struggled or been in a SP a spot spot that's difficult and uh the addition of that component with the development of young people resonated with us as to yeah living a life of significance for this next chapter and in a place where you're comfortable you're no stranger to it um what better place to get back than to Albuquerque and to be able to make an impression on these young men and these players and this program that's itching to get back to success um what was it what was that moment like when you were finally able to call yourself the head coach at the University of New Mexico yeah uh man surreal I would say and I think the community as well as the players you use the words you use the word itching I would go deeper than that I I think almost desperate right I think the the community of Albuquerque and the University of New Mexico not only hopeful but desperate for results in football right desperate for um a quality program that has success desperate for a place to go where people can count on a team playing well and and having great outcomes but not at the expense of developing great people and so I think man I think itching is close but being able to then call myself the head coach against that backdrop is there's a huge opportunity but also a huge responsibility that I feel absolutely you have what I understand are are what is called guiding principles for your program um what are those and how do they Define and kind of give you the direction that you'd like to take this program yeah the guiding principles are are are profound um starting early in my coaching career but really be kind of taking shape along the way there's 14 of them which is long almost like a chapter in a book um and more than principles they're the code and what I believe right is every decision we make is governed by a principle but every principle is governed by a belief and the more clear you are about your beliefs and principles the more consistent you're going to be and I tried to identify principles would help young people live great lives and so one that my Maybe our current players are talking about is earned not given uh um I just don't expect anyone to give me anything without me qualifying for adding value to get demonstrating competency and in the world today there's a lot of enticement on the front end without much expectation true and I don't think that develops young people um at a really high level family first last always is a guiding principle meaning that I don't know if a young person is ever deciding between competing interests uh what I think is going to serve them best is their family first last and always acknowledging that before they even consider anything else in terms of impact so that they're really just anchor points that frame when crisis comes uh a decision or a path to go and it's a code we live by uh it's something that I'm lucky enough to be able to teach them to add value to hopefully receive more texts and calls when their eligibility is done besides and I I want to make it clear that's not in place of the success on the field I think it contributes directly to success and so this isn't only a program of teaching principles there has to be results otherwise um I'm not meeting expectations you say earned not given and we heard it from The Players yesterday they have to earn their numbers this year uh would love to know more about that and what went into that decision yeah so we started at the University of Virginia uh and that was a a program that was um struggling and I didn't really think the the program and the players even valued playing the game and so they were stripped of anything that was UVA related and what I learned along the way is each thing they earned man did they value it and care for that in a manner like it was gosh maybe even more significant than it was so all of a sudden a t-shirt that had a symbol on it was one of their most prized possessions because they had qualified for it so anyone in our program much like the martial arts you come into the program and you wear white just like a white belt you qualify in test for a different color uh not just by time you keep doing that and eventually you qualify for a jersey um hard to play in a game without a jersey number and so anyway they work through a system of development it's a developmental program that means it develops people but it also develops results and so we take it to the nth degree yeah it was it was very cool to hear Luke and Gabe yesterday speak to it um because that's a first for them and so they really spoke to just how that has changed this team and the way that they're getting ready for this season very cool to hear it it I think it does number one I think it helps them get ready for the season I think it helps them get ready for life but it also gives them great feedback because if they want to know where they stand they just simply pulled the stuff out of their locker and what color is it and they look at the scale and it tells them where they are on the current Continuum if they want to go higher they look at the numbers to qualify for the next color and they go for it yeah we're going to get to some of your players and and talk about about who some of those guys that will make an impact on the field at least uh that you can project at this point but uh we're on a roll here in establishing the things that are important and and I did want to get to this before it kind of got buried you have a program called Thursday Heroes that you guys have implemented um first of all if you can explain what that is but I'd really know love to know the why behind it because it's very powerful visuals that we'll be showing here what do you do and why do you do it with this Thursday her program gosh there there's so much in college football right now that makes the players feel like they're very important M and mostly that's because of how they play a game when my wife and I became head coach at um at BYU our kids were about the size of some of these kids you see on the screen in the background and we were like how do we teach our boys this is we're benefiting but what are we giving and so we started a foundation Hol and I the Thursday's hero Foundation to really teach our boys what giving back would look like when they were that age and gosh little did we know just by making time at the end of a Thursday practice the team would then see a glimpse of what was really important and how it would ground them and gosh when I left BYU we had a Thursday's hero reunion of over 1500 people um of kids that had been served in their families took the program to the University of Virginia with a very similar result and here's just the glimpses now and what what's interesting is you can't watch it without smiling like no matter how practice went no matter what the the the coach the family and usually Grandma and Grandpa and the moms and dad are just in tears so here's a break in their routine sure from the cancer center or from the Ronald McDonald House or from whatever their life looks like here's just a break of acknowledgement that someone sees them appreciates them and is is is mindful of how much they're struggling and who would have guessed that kids coming for a day yeah would it would change and so they're then they're have an open invitation to come back and players they email and text and it's just fun the impact on those those kids and their families obviously is large and you know any anyone who's a parent or a brother or sister puts themselves in that situation says man that would be really cool to be seen heard and celebrated like that what's the impact on your players because the dance ing the the celebration that they had kid out of Jersey and I I was listening to him they say put it on put it on like they're as excited as anybody I'm curious the impact on the locker room on your players I I I would I would be remiss if I if I'm not saying that's one of the advantages I didn't expect that to start yeah I I didn't see that coming but after just a few presentations after practice at the very beginning my wife and I and our kids we were watching our team and we're not so sure they didn't benefit bit more than the hero and that glimpse into someone else's struggle someone else's sacrifice time away from themselves and basically the happiest people I've met are the ones that are the most outward focused and so the mental health of our team amidst the season and all this other stuff that's viewed as so important there's a point each week where they're not acknowledging any of that they're being valued because they get to be the one to give awesome a shirt and their teammates are celebrating that and they're hugging the family members after and they're visiting and for that moment or moments they're not just a college football player right they're a Community member they're an ally they're a friend they're serving they're connecting and they're realizing you can do all of that it doesn't just mean one or the other it's awesome well if uh you'll humor Us here let's talk some football and some of your guys have to that have been that have been impacted uh let's just start for for no other better reason than he will be assuming one of your leaders uh Deon dampier at a had a really strong uh spring last year at the end of the year was super good he threw for over 500 yards 10 total touchdowns accounted for um in what ways will he uh be a valued member on the football field for your team gosh when whenever you take over a new program or any program or any organization right there's disproportionate people of value by the nature of their position sure right impact quarterback is that and if you have a quarterback Kirby Smart said this when you have a quarterback you have a chance man did I get lucky in inheriting a really good quarterback that was already in the program by injury Devon basically got every repetition this spring um and man I love what I see from him he's a capable Runner and thrower and decision maker and leader and so really excited about him we've added two junior college players and two players healthy that have started games for New Mexico before and Isaiah Chavez and Justin holiday besides our two junior college players so we're deep at the quarterback position with a clear leader yeah which is Devon but I like to me the program will go as the quarterback plays and you have to have succession planning especially if his style of play is dynamic and once he runs especially if he's not a great slider yet or a great decision maker downfield in some of the hits he takes you have to have a succession plan um but that position for us I feel very good about which means our chance for transition becomes strong well a player that I know is really excited to get back on the field this year who I expect will probably be one of your top targets is Mr Luke weong we got to talk with him yesterday um really cool for him just coming from a family of Lobos his dad his uncle his mom played volleyball just all the things really special for him but being able to be back on the field how excited are you to see him back and know that he's going to be a part of big part of this offense yeah really excited for all the reasons you just said so besides the ability and his a chance to perform when you had history and Family Ties like that and he represents the state there's all of those things make his performance more compelling not less and when you can run with the ball like he does after he catches it when you catch it the way he can catch it when you return kicks the way he can do that and you have New Mexico ties and family history there there becomes uh a different connection and quite frankly a different passion that you play with and people support with and so Luke is right in the middle of all that which yeah really lucky to have inherited him too yeah in your time I know your offenses have uh valued and targeted the tight end um and Trace brookler guy started 10 games uh at the start of the season last year was thought of as one of the top tight ends and he he ended up uh turning out to be that uh how value will he be in your offense knowing that at least in the past that's been a that's been a focal point they huge huge Trace is one of my favorite players um and just I like his leadership I like his toughness I like his productivity he can block and he can catch and gosh he works like crazy and so capable and again I feel like I hit the jackpot and with some of these players that were already at New Mexico and Trace is one of them we have a deep tight end room as well um and so it won't just be Trace but he's leading the room and yeah he's exactly what I would hop for this year and well the nature of College athletics right now is the transfers the transfer portal um it's different than probably what you expected when you got into this business many years ago but um I'd be remiss not to mention one of the big transfers uh that I've heard has made quite a big impact on your program already Noah Avenger uh played at San Diego State uh he was a preseason all Mountain West uh team member in 2022 now getting him on your team um what if you seen from him so far in the way that he's come in and asserted himself in this group it it's been fun because he came in with experience uh but he's still at a new program and so while he was leading he was doing it thoughtfully intentionally respectfully but his work ethic and daily consistency was allowed his voice to be quiet but to be listened to and so his play certainly back that up and backs that up um but again starting experience playing experience in the the league playing well coming in with the demeanor that he had in the work ethic he's made a huge difference and at a position quite frankly that was one of our biggest needs and so the value he's already added uh really big for our program you know an immense amount about this league he's been in this league he's seen a lot um and obviously there are a lot of new faces on this team this year so being able to rely on a guy like Noah who although it may be his first year at New Mexico um actually playing what does that mean to be able to rely on a guy like him yeah stability and so my experience of the league as well as head coaching career in time there's a stability Factor there where the highs aren't too high the lows aren't too low the crisises aren't too capital letter they're just manageable at corner and in the secondary it's a valuable skill to have because it's a volatile position and so to have someone similar but at the player level doing the same thing again it adds stability and stability adds consistency and that usually in a league like this that has so much parody the most consistent teams usually have the best chance and so that's really going to help yeah it comes from a great athletic family sister is a great basketball player at at San Diego State as well uh we'll take a look at your schedule here before we Turn You Loose coach you guys will open up against Montana State and I know coaches may or may not have any role in scheduling but that's a tough opener coach go that would have not have been my first pick it would not have been my first pick it wouldn't have been on the board tough opener yeah yeah uh then then you got uh Arizona and see one of our old friends and Brent Brennan and you go to Auburn and then a team that is picked to be one of the top teams in this league and then a rivalry game I mean you're just getting thrown straight to the fire coach why why build into it we might as well just go if we're going to go we might as well just go yeah you're doing that uh reasonable expectations for me this is a a a building job that you you have have inherited and you know what are some reasonable expectations as you look look at the schedule what defines success in the football field for you you know I think you can put it in context really easy but ultimately no one cares about the context they they really don't right my expectations for the University of New Mexico which I share with our team is that we're postseason eligible every year we consistently compete for the conference Championship and we win our state championship and so that expectation you can say that's not relevant year one it has to be relevant every year right the reality is we have tons of work to do we have a difficult schedule we have whatever reasons there is but those are my expectations the players know that and that's what we're going to shoot for well the context to your season as we see it is New Mexico football is in great hands uh it is great having you back in the Le in the league and and uh you helping shape all of us as as folks because your words do resonate and I mean that sincerely so welcome back to the league thanks fun to be with you guys and likewise Bronco menal proven winner now taking over at the University of New Mexico all right well we've still got lots more coming your way here today from cirer Resort and Casino at 2024 Mountain West football media days coming up next we will hear from national college football Rider Chris venini from the athletic we're excited to get his perspective on all things Mountain West football this year so don't go anywhere We'll Be Live coming up right after this on the Mountain West Network [Music]