When coach Bronco Mendenhall took over the Virginia football program, he knew there was much to be done before the Cavaliers’ opening game in August. In March, Mendenhall maintained that after initial work and analysis of his new players, he thought they needed “instant accountability and immediate discipline,” making those two of the center pillars of his new program.
In addition to those pillars, Mendenhall has established the the “earned, not given” mentality as the central platform of his program.
“Earned, not given” has already made itself quite apparent during Mendenhall’s short tenure. The mindset has prompted the members of the team to prove to their new coaching staff that they have earned the right to play. As one of his first actions as head coach, Mendenhall has taken what was previously a given — including all of the players’ numbers — and is forcing them everyday to fight to earn what they desire.
It’s been working.
As spring camp drew to a close Saturday with the Spring Football Festival, Mendenhall was pleased with the progress his players had made.
“I think we are slightly ahead in terms of the number of concepts,” Mendenhall said. “To our players’ credit, they are slightly ahead of where I thought we would be. It has been a pleasant surprise.”
For those players, including senior quarterback Matt Johns, the transition has not been an easy one, but one that has pushed them to continually improve.
“[In] the beginning, it was hectic,” Johns conceded. “We made some mental mistakes because of the fast pace, but now that we are to move on, we’ve gotten a lot better.”
For senior center Jackson Matteo, the team has made great progress under their new coaching staff. He said that preparation for next season is just a daily attempt to improve upon their work from the previous day.
“We aren’t going to get it the first day — we knew that,” Matteo said. “But something we also do know is that you have to build on what you have done. The first full practice is not going to be the smoothest, but the next day, the next opportunity to be successful, that has got to be the one we hone in on. And if everyday we can just get better at one thing, then you know, we can come out with a successful spring. And that is what we have done.”
Johns indicated the discipline pillar is still firmly in place, as is obedience to Mendenhall.
“Anything he has ever said, we don’t question,” Johns said. “He says it, we do it. There is no question about it. If you want to question it, you might want to leave this locker room because you’re in the wrong place … What he says goes, and we are going to follow his lead.”
As the expectations have been laid out and the players have adjusted themselves to the new guidelines and demands, the Cavaliers are placing their focus on moving forward on the technical.
“[We need to work on] different schemes, different terminology,” Matteo asserted. “But really we just [have] to hone in on the craft.”
Mendenhall said each practice focuses on a specific area needing improvement.
“We have just continued to assess where we need the most work, where we need the most emphasis, how we can improve our team,” Mendenhall echoed. “And so about the last four or five practices, we shift the segments of practice.”
Although much work still lies in front of this Virginia squad over the summer months, Johns maintained an optimistic outlook.
“At this point, I think [we’re] pretty good,” Johns concluded. “You know, we know what to expect. Then from there, it is just a matter of … build[ing] up our will and maintain[ing] it all practice.”
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