New Mexico HC Bronco Mendenhall previews season opener against Montana State

Saturday so we have the first game in the continental United States to play there is one game before us in Dublin but this game is on national TV on FS1 as well as on the grid iron network uh who are coming in to do this is a national radio broadcast as well with that questions for Coach Lon hall or do you want to start with the open I'll start with a quick statement yeah number one I feel fortunate to be at the University of New Mexico uh my wife and I what an incredible journey it's been so far uh she arrives in town Thursday for her arrival I've been here since December um lot's gone on to this lot's gone into this move as well as work into this program to this point uh this is the beginning of an era Saturday that doesn't Define an era and there's a difference I love my team their work their willingness to compete their belief in me as the head coach but also the systems and gosh they put in lots of time energy and effort and Trust already I'm anxious to help them continue to grow learn and improve as well as this program also uh I'd like to Express gratitude our stadium looks great and so there's been a lot of people that have prepared the stadium for the beginning of this era and there's way more more that goes into a football program than just what the head coach does and I've received tremendous support to this point and I'm grateful for that so be glad to take questions um from anyone if you have't question in a followup Sean I'm sure you want to go first yeah let's dive into Montana State um one of he forced you to go first didn't he was forced one of the uh I mean best teams in uh FCS offensively last season I think they averaged just under you know shade under 40 points a game when you uh look at what they did last year what stood out about what made them so successful yeah I think when you're talking about Montana State you first need to frame it is you're talking about a football program not a football team there's a difference there are teams that flash in and out there are teams that are consistent or not consistent once the team becomes consistent year in and year out it starts moving toward a program and so Montana State's done a really nice job of establishing the football program their identities are clear both offensively and defensively they have systems they believe in they recruited Personnel to fit those systems um and they've identified and developed a really nice culture and have had success so this is a seasoned experienced well coached football program regardless of level um I don't really even acknowledge that I look at the quality of players the quality of systems the quality of coaching the quality of programs whatever precedes that in terms of f whatever it doesn't matter to me um I'm OPP lot I think it is an opportunity and does that mean now all of a sudden we prepare hard because of that opportunity does it mean that we we I don't know act differently you can't act harder or more different than we are trying to move the program forward however is it an opportunity absolutely will Impressions be formed about me and our team on Saturday how could they not be um there are all kinds of challenges to a elite zero game but there are all kinds of benefits to a weak Zero game and so we have both and at this for the program um for All Eyes to be honest what better way to start and that comes with leadership right I'm accountable for the results but I'm also accountable um to find and help and leverage opportunities when they come and that's what this is and so all eyes on Albuquerque and New Mexico football it's been a while and what better start just a follow to that kind of subject is it is it surprising to you to have you ever worked and AD leave in the same week that no um but let's let's just address that really squarely um Eddie M did an exceptional job at UNM and man New Opportunities come when you do great work and so anything other than gratitude and excitement for him doesn't seem to be aligned so Holly and I are super excited for his opportunity grateful for the chance we had while he was here appreciative of all the work that's he's done and and really now what changes I was hired to coach the football team um regardless of whom I'm who I answer to that doesn't change and I intend to do that with the highest level of my capability with great principles great morals and great outcomes over time um I get to work with we'll find out but I I have only just congratulations and and best wishes for Eddie and timing it really doesn't matter to be honest it hasn't changed one bit of any of the days that I've had and so it will change the university landscape it'll change the athletic department landscape I've got way too much going on and really be effective by that let's go Jeff from the journal in Lauren you about getting off the ranch you had to have alignment with the leadership so I'm curious what role you want now that you're already here and a new leader coming in what role would you like to take in the next selection of an athletic director you know I trust our leaders um so president Stokes has um it's our relationship has been brief normally it takes time and consistency and results to establish trust that's happened pretty quickly here and so president Stokes will do an amazing job um track record so shows she knows how to hire an athletic director um so I trust that that will happen and quite frankly I'm going to coach our team there's a lot that I have going um if my opinion is asked I'll be glad to share if my advice is warranted or requested I'll be glad to share that other than that I don't intend to be involved and I'll just trust the process hey know it feels like I never left um this will be my 18th year as a head coach and it seems like just one giant season uh I I don't really remember now the last year and a half in terms of not being on the sideline so it's funny how that works it just feels like another normal start to the season in terms of what my role is what the Rhythm what the routine is I didn't know what to expect I thought it might seem different it doesn't it just seems like we played last week and I I've been surprised by that but also not surprised by that let go Sean the inevitable followup and the Rick um is that a compliment yes that didn't sound like a compliment I don't think it did either uh when he's been healthy number four Tommy mot I mean he's been really Dynamic he can run and throw it at a really high level what are the challenges in containing a guy that experienced and that talented just as you said super Dynamic he's fast he's quick he's experienced they've won a lot of football games um with him at that position uh and anytime the quarterback is a runner you start running out of defensive numbers and a lot of one-on ones meaning beating blocks and making tackles become necessary and so the system is really well designed they have the right player at that position and I I think uh Kirby Smart said it maybe best um and he said when you have a quarterback you have a chance so in their system and in most systems when you have a really good quarterback you have a chance he just happens to be dynamic and so lots of quarterback run lots of quarterback designed run and then you have quarterback creation plays where a drop back to throw or something doesn't go just right and there's still ability and so those are all challenges for the defense um and yeah he's very capable so does a nice job defensively Brody grieve number 10 he's been really Dynamic for them to and they were I think they were second in the country in sacks last year I think he had nine and a half as well kind of on the on the flip side I mean what makes it difficult about him to contain him production uh their defense returns I believe nine nine starters so again it's an experienced football program and it's fun to see good players excel in good programs and be used correct and so all that's helped him uh anytime that those statistics start to Bear kind of the weight that you're sharing is a reason for that and so usually it's the right player with the right motivation the right skill set the right technique and the right system and that's what's happening in Montana State on both sides of the correct based on the national reaction that could be said that EDD part gift to you and higher than you also be said he part back schedule uh just looking not past Saturday but but looking at the schedule believe you have the depth to your that schedule successful so uh yes to both perspectives that you started with um when you're uh when you take over a program there are certain challenges you inherit and certain things that you really don't have any control over that you inherit um um every one of those is a learning opportunity is our depth capable of handling the schedule it has to be and my job quite frankly is to make that happen so um I like the challenges not only of right the the difficulty of beginning uh We've acknowledged that we're taking it face on it's probably the first thing I hear anytime I'm in public while difficult SCH to be how to get it um but it is what it is and so great test for our program great opportunity for our program we'll use the buys to our advantage we'll use the tough start to um in terms of scheduling to grow um we'll learn really well how to travel and play on the road and we'll learn how to do that over an extended time period all that can be foundational to a program moving forward that doesn't mean it has to be only viewed negatively that gives us a lot of different growth opportunities and so I'll frame it like that what do you like G you do like the same thing we same hat over and over do you think you get any just excit I mean you so uh I have a pretty I don't know if it's Unique but a pretty simple philosophy and um I really love uh most of what John Wooden has written and and one of uh the conversations uh that that I received a transcript on he talked about maybe his ideal and this will be paraphrased maybe his ideal would be uh that he could put his team on a bus or on a plane and they could go off and play and he wouldn't be missed they are so prepared they're so player Le the execution and preparations at such a level that he wouldn't be missed um I work hard to be irrelevant on game dat and that might sound counterintuitive but that just means that the team has been so well PR prepared they're so confident they're so United the player leadership is such in place our adjustments are already set um that that I could watch and enjoy what work we put in um my team knows and what I even though we haven't been through a game yet what I've shared them is the closer it gets to the game the less that I speak the more I expect them to speak um and so it's atypical um if someone were to mic me up on Game Day expecting that would be valued content would be a lot of Silence but what I do say I mean um and when I do speak I expect it to be done um that might be 5% of the game where you'll see something said or done where I actually influence at that point if I'm speaking more than that that usually means something isn't going well and it means that I'm having to make Corrections that were probably overlooked unexpected or not prepared for before and if I'm saying nothing and looks like I'm doing nothing great it's a good day yeah it's a good day let's go back to Sean uh first time we're looking at a formal depth chart um Isaiah is listed as a sole backup you said that competition could carry over into this week is that final or is that kind of ongoing right it's final as of week one uh as is all the depth chart I made a comment to you I didn't expect many ores since the time we talked gosh the competition for some of the backup spots demanded ores starters not so many which I see is a good thing I expect that to carry on for gosh first third of the Season maybe from what I see and I was talking more backup RS Isaiah and did he make the most of his opportunities special spark special production and differentiated himself through both and we didn't see it coming we saw it in him but yeah um it's been fun to see that he's said a nice job at the starting Buck spot you have an or between Demitri and Randolph right now uh Randolph obviously coming in over the summer what kind of Camp has he had to play himself into that starting role production production production production so Demetri knows what to do how to do it his very experience and gives us anchor points there that are super valuable uh Randolph just makes plays and the volume of plays has warranted his consideration and proud of him for that back to laam speaking of they Des uh a willing team competitive Spirit belief in one another and hope um hope moves to belief with results they're hopeful and um we did not have a practice that I had to to correct or restart or come into my stff just say and what happened today that's atypical for the rigor and for the length of time man they're resilient and they're gritty and they're tough and they support one another and they just keep coming that's those are great qualities uh what kind of football we'll play in game one we'll see what the execution looks like um but the foundation of those other principles gosh that's fun um myself and our strength coach um we call him Coach Blackjack but the Leadership Council and the seminars and the training and the embracing of that the application of it from our team leaders has been just really exceptional and so I believe that right um involvement equals ownership and I I'm not looking to make every decision in this program I'm actually looking for others to make decisions that can cap capture hearts and minds and Propel us forward and the more of those decisions that could happen at the player level um the better we're going to play and the faster we'll have a great football program so it starts with the team that's this year's team uh but the principles bind teams together success then starts to generate credibility and then your program is of and running and then it's just the next version of a quality New Mexico team Sean different teams and different areas and all that but the parallels are kind of similar uh you open up New Mexico uh against an FCS team ranked number four in the country uh in 2016 in Virginia he opened up against an FCS team uh rank number four in the country he lost 37 to 20 I guess you kind of a broader sense I mean what did you learn from that Richmond game back then in terms of where the program was at and what you what lessons you've kind of taken from that in terms of building the Mexico yeah the the lessons that was uh that was an impactful game after taking over the University of Virginia an ACC program a power five program and after success of BYU opening with Richmond and at home and I remember walking out at warm-ups and and seeing Richmond but also just seeing my team and I came in the locker room after warm-ups and I told my coaches um yeah we're in trouble I was talking about really my players demeanor I said go get with your guys right now what I realized at that time is we'd spend all of our preparation so there at at the University of Virginia our practice facility was was not at the same location as our stadium and when we went to the stadium oversight on my part lack of preparation on my part but also just where the program was um we were tentative we were uncertain and the history there clearly was overriding when they were in that locker room on that field they immediately reverted and acted as if they were in that locker room on that field and expecting the same results that had been happening for some time I underestimated that effect in that space um and so that was gosh the only FCS team in my career that had beaten us and they beat us soundly I thought the score was more lopsided than even that felt like it and yet that's where we were that was where we were and that ended up helping me understand with more clarity um so I thought we were um the foundational level of program that showed me that was a false floor that we were beneath that there was probably two or three more false floors we uncovered through that season uh there was a 2 and 10 season which then helped me reframe and frame maybe correctly where the program really was then we qualify for postseason in year two the fans rush the field when we beat Georgia Tech winning six games over the rails off the hill here they come in year two I'm not sure that happens that fast without Richmond in year one painful y um but foundational and I thought after that game there was the Baseline to move the program forward again as I mentioned I found two or three other subfloor basements after that which then finally allowed us to put in the right strategy and and mechanisms to move it forward which then happened in year two I thought at Virginia year two would have been year one we would have barely qualified for postseason and then here we go but it took two years um so what did I learn man I've looked really hard have we been in our own stadium enough have we identified addressing the brutal facts of our history right are we leveraging what our team can do not only um physically but mentally and through their confidence and games help um but they also keep scoring right so here comes feedback while it's counting that's part of my job and we will I do everything possible to address all that at the same time yeah can I know truly before we play I wish I could um I'll find out and we'll adjust I'll learn and apply as fast as possible and we'll do that every single week and move the program forward and we will move forward so that's a very confident statement we will move forward we will learn and apply where we'll start from we'll kind of find out at the same time let's go to Rob and and then we're going to go to our out of town media so Rob many um you know I'm not sure how unique and different and I I have a lot of colleagues that I know and and visited with for a long time just because I've been in the industry for a long time um I really spend very little time talking about or considering our opponent which might sound counterintuitive um yes we play Montana State yes they're a good football program there's my entire focus is on the University of New Mexico our players our assignment our technique our motive our effort our Collective will and what our goals are and this just happens to be the team that's coming in that we play and so I know in this setting right that my I'm expected to address our opponent and I will be next week and next week and Etc it's really the only time I address our opponent um I spent very little time if any talking about our opponent with our staff or our team and you might say well how do you be prepared um here's the film it doesn't matter to me the colors what can we do what do we need to to do how can we leverage our best opportunity to move the program forward and this is just the next chance to do it and um I'm not caught up do nor do I ever even look at social media I don't know what the line is I don't know what any of you say so don't worry um um it it just has no bearing um my job is to help these players do the best they can and that's all I focus on that your extreme effort about ex Focus what I've learned is there's only so much I can control and I can't control one thing the other team does or one thing that's written or one thing that's done other than helping my team have the best chance possible and that's all I have time for and it's really all I care about it doesn't mean it's the right way it's just how I like to do it now let's go to cter in uh Montana oh right here speak speak up a little bit compared to other teams incl with the quarterback in the Run game yeah sorry so the question was quarterback in the Run game did they do anything like other teams that I've seen was that the question yes exactly yeah um so Run game college football now quarterbacks that can run probably more typical than atypical and so I'll kind of go Rockstar style and so uh gosh yes we've seen great quarterback Runners before gosh I had a chance to defend Lamar Jackson and a in a wow um that was amazing so yes I've seen the approach before um but a great athlete at that position doesn't mean a great scheme or Run game and so I think Montana State's in a nice job of having a really good player at that position but then gone to Great Lengths to have super Design Elements and compliments to your answers much like option football and so really good player really good scheme seasoning experience have we seen something similar yes identical no um and that's probably the best way I'd describe it perfect West for quite a long time do you have any Impressions when he was at Wyoming is there any carry over the Wyoming stuff like Montana St on so the question uh if I heard it correctly was tying Wyoming to Montana state do I see any similarities is that the question yeah so when I was in the league Wyoming different system different style and different coaches so even though that era might have happened um I don't see enough to say man that looks like Wyoming this or that and so pretty distinct and different from when I've been in the league and so um yeah gosh my most recent memories are all ACC and so it's been a while and so I think the style from when I was here and saw Wyoming to what they're doing now quite different all right thanks cter anything else have you guys selected Captain yet captains will be announced at the end of practice today go and in terms of the dep CH just one more or twoo um we got an or between uh Shawn Miller and Ryan Davis as well can can you talk a little bit about that competition and how that's kind of played out throughout Camp gosh uh so Ryan Davis would be one of the um uh the rising um stars I would say on our current team and so while capable um and effective and productive to start Camp again volume of production just and Shan as well so though that position has elevated itself through the competition between those two and it really didn't start as a comp ition started with Shawn clearly as the one and Ryan somewhere else and it's hasn't ended that way so really sha has done nothing other than improve but the um the trajectory and the ascent of Ryan is man it's been great for everybody and he's done a super job so that made our team is making our team better all right appreciate the questions look forward to seeing you when after the games at our next y post game all right thanks you you get him post game okay great perfect thank you B my