Virginia football coach Bronco Mendenhall announced Saturday the addition of eight assistant coaches to his staff. Six assistants from Mendenhall’s staff at BYU will join former East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill and Virginia wide receivers coach Marques Hagans.
McNeill spent the previous six seasons with East Carolina and compiled a 42-34 record, including a 1-3 mark in bowl games. The Pirates let McNeill go following a 5-7 campaign in 2015.
At Virginia, McNeill will serve as assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach.
Current BYU offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach Robert Anae will fill the same positions for the Cavaliers. Anae has been on staff for all 11 of Mendenhall’s years at BYU and was a member of the Cougars’ 1984 national championship team.
Mark Atuaia will assume the responsibility of running backs coach. Earlier in the week, former running backs coach Chris Beatty left after one year with the Cavaliers to take a position with Syracuse.
Jason Beck will be the quarterbacks coach, while Garett Tujague will coach the offensive line. Nick Howell will become the secondary coach and Kelly Poppinga will coordinate special teams.
Hagans, a 2005 graduate of Virginia, is the only holdover from former coach Mike London’s staff. Hagans played four years for the Cavaliers, is seventh all-time in school passing yards and played five seasons in the NFL.
Mendenhall and his six BYU assistants will coach in the Las Vegas Bowl, their final game for the Cougars, Dec. 19 against No. 20 Utah.
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