Swinney has true appreciation for what Bronco has accomplished at UVA

By Jerry Ratcliffe

CHARLOTTE — Four years ago, almost to the day, Bronco Mendenhall was introduced as Virginia’s 40th head football coach. Like most of the 39 that preceded him, he would learn in the months ahead that UVA’s football program was in much worse condition than expected.

After uprooting his entire football staff from the Wasatch Mountains that soar over BYU’s Lavelle Edwards Stadium and moving them clear across the country to the shadows of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Mendenhall quickly realized he had a lot of work to do. He loves challenges. He got one.

After a disastrous 2-10 start in his first season, Mendenhall engineered a wondrous turnaround. In three years hence, Virginia is playing for its first ACC football championship on Saturday night, taking on defending national champion Clemson.

If anyone has a true appreciation of Mendenhall’s accomplishment in such a short time span, it’s a fellow coach, as in Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, whom we asked Friday to comment on a job well done.

“I have unbelievable appreciation of that,” Swinney said of Mendenhall’s achievement at Virginia.

“I mean, it’s so hard to win. You know, he came in with a very clear plan. He wasn’t afraid to lose, he wasn’t afraid to fail. He knew what he wanted to do. He was able to articulate that, then build it, create that mindset, that belief, get the right people in place, then put in the work.”

Swinney said that whatever failure Mendenhall might have had along the way, that the failure has helped him. Failure at certain places around the country these days can quickly lead to a coach’s doom, so Swinney also pointed out UVA’s patience in allowing the coach to fail first, then win.

“You know, especially nowadays, our appreciation is also for who they are at Virginia, too,” Swinney said. “They’ll fire you after two years. Some people, you don’t even get a year and a half. You can take over a dumpster fire and you’re supposed to wave the wand. 

“So I have great appreciation for the [athletic administration] at Virginia, too. How many did [Virginia] win the first year? (Two games). How many the second year? (Six). You win eight games in two years, a lot of people wouldn’t hang onto you.”

Swinney credited UVA’s athletic director (Carla Williams) because she believed in Mendenhall and supported him.

“I’m sure there was criticism in the first two seasons,” the Clemson coach said.

He was right. After that 2-10 season and getting blown out by Richmond in the opening game of a new regime, a lot of people left Scott Stadium shaking their heads in disbelief and doubt. After the Cavaliers won six games in Mendenhall’s second year, only to get blown out at Navy in the Military Bowl, there were even more doubters. The fact that UVA couldn’t beat Virginia Tech (until last week) continued to raise eyebrows, but not expectations.

“To see [Virginia] made momentum last year, win the bowl game, it is just great,” Swinney said. “I mean, he’s been just steadily building it and he’s done it the right way. I’m sure he’s had to make some difficult decisions along the way that were best for his program, maybe not best for the team, but that’s what it takes.

“I’m really happy for Virginia and I’m really happy for Bronco for the season that they have had and have great respect for who they are, their team, how we’re going to have to play to have a chance to win the game.”

According to the odds makers, Clemson is a 28.5-point favorite to win its 28th consecutive game.

“If you play this particular weekend, that means you had a really special season,” Swinney said. “There’s not many games. There will be two champions on the field tomorrow night and one team holding up the trophy.”