UVA Sports World Reacts to Bronco Mendenhall’s Resignation

See how fans, journalists, and players reacted on social media to Mendenhall stepping down as Virginia’s head football coach

Matt Newton | Dec 3, 2021

Bronco Mendenhall shocked the UVA sports world on Thursday evening and announced that he would be stepping down from his position as head coach of the Virginia football program at the end of the season.

As is always the case when big news comes out in this day and age, people took to social media to respond.

Chris Long and Ahmad Hawkins were all of us when we first heard the news:

Wow.
— chris long (@JOEL9ONE) December 2, 2021

Welp…….
— Ahmad Rashad Hawkins Sr. (@IAmBallHawk) December 2, 2021

Holy shit.
— Barstool UVA (@BarstoolUVA) December 2, 2021

Holy forkin shirtballs. #UVA has announced Bronco Mendenhall is stepping down as @UVAFootball head coach.
— Streaking the Lawn (@STL_UVA) December 2, 2021

Another bombshell! #UVA coach Bronco Mendenhall resigns
— David Teel (@ByDavidTeel) December 2, 2021

The official UVA sports accounts posted and thanked Mendenhall for his contributions to UVA football.

Thank you, Coach Mendenhall!

🔗: https://t.co/tZiBTxOb63 pic.twitter.com/ei4qTEGSJX
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) December 2, 2021

Thank you, Bronco Mendenhall!

🗒️ https://t.co/3ut5604EPl pic.twitter.com/i69dP1zDD8
— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) December 2, 2021

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan also tweeted to express his gratitude towards Mendenhall.

I am incredibly grateful to my friend Coach Bronco Mendenhall for his six seasons with UVA football. Coach Mendenhall is a leader both on and off the field, inspiring our community with a commitment to student athlete development that is as strong as his passion for winning.
— Jim Ryan (@presjimryan) December 3, 2021

A host of former and current players tweeted their reactions, which were messages filled in most cases with a mixture of thankfulness and sorrow.

This a Tough One 💔 Thank You For Everything Coach. Love 4Life🔒 pic.twitter.com/R3lgegj7JI
— BK4 (@billykemp_4) December 2, 2021

Cant believe this. Coach Mendenhall took a chance on me, a skinny awkward basketball player, and turned me into an All-ACC Linebacker. But what separate Coach Mendenhall is how he developed me, and all his players off the field as men. I cant thank Coach enough for everything🧡💙
— Charles Snowden III (@csnoww3) December 3, 2021

Thank you for everything @UVACoachBronco , love you coach🤞🏽
— Joey Blount (@JoeyBlount8) December 2, 2021

Forever Thankful 🤞🏽 https://t.co/nUFkIfFwI2
— KT 🏧🤙🏽 (@Thompson_Kt5) December 2, 2021

Appreciate everything you did for me and I value the time we spend together luv u coach🖤@UVACoachBronco pic.twitter.com/sB4QQlZone
— Jelani Woods (@jelani_thegreat) December 2, 2021

Thank you coach @UVACoachBronco for taking a chance on me out of juco. You changed my life and made me a better football player, leader, and human being 💙⚔️
— Bryce Perkins (@TDN_Perk) December 3, 2021

Thankful for @UVACoachBronco bringing me to UVA to help lay the foundation for the turnaround. Excited to see what’s next for both sides. #GoHoos
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) December 2, 2021

This one hurt love you coach❤️ https://t.co/JE5xqlPx8R
— Jay Woolfolk (@WoolfolkJay) December 2, 2021

First Coastal championship in school history
5 straight bowl eligible seasons
New Years 6 Bowl game appearance

All in just 6 years… what Coach Mendenhall did for this program and this school cannot be celebrated enough https://t.co/810T9mdpPS
— Charles Snowden III (@csnoww3) December 3, 2021

The Athletic’s Andy Bitter gave the move some interesting context in terms of ACC coaches who began their tenure in the 2016 season:

So Dino Babers, he of the 29-43 record and one bowl appearance at Syracuse, wins the 2016 ACC coaching sweepstakes for somehow having the longest tenure, outlasting Mark Richt, Justin Fuente and Bronco Mendenhall. Who had that ticket?
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) December 2, 2021

247Sports’ Chris Hummer placed Mendenhall’s decision in the category of “high-profile coaches” stepping down from their positions:

This is the fifth year in a row we've had a high-profile CFB coach unexpectedly step down. That profession is a grind, man.

2017 - Bob Stoops
2018 - Urban Meyer
2019 - Chris Petersen
2020 - Mark Dantonio
2021 - Bronco Mendenhall
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) December 2, 2021

Naturally, there were a great many people sharing their thoughts on who ought to be hired as the next Virginia football coach.

Who needs a search firm? #UVA can hire Anthony Poindexter to be its head coach. He'll hire a defensive staff and the 'Hoos can retain this offensive staff, but promote Marques Hagans to associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
Look at all that money I just saved them.
— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) December 3, 2021

1. Hire Dex as HC
2. Make Beck/Hagans co-OC
3. ???
4. Profit
— Caroline Darney (@cwdarney) December 2, 2021

Is Dex Next? Poindexter is a natural favorite to become Virginia’s next head football coach https://t.co/HsqJPKvaO9
— Jerry Ratcliffe (@JerryRatcliffe) December 3, 2021

Early name to watch for #Virginia is #PennState co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter, a former All-America safety and ACC defensive player of the year at Virginia. Would be wild if both PSU defensive coordinators ended up coaching teams in the Commonwealth Cup.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 2, 2021

Give me Anthony Poindexter
— Cavalier Blue (@CavalierBlue) December 2, 2021

Hagans, Beck, Poindexter. Don’t care which is HC, just let them all be on the staff.
— EmbraceThePace (@EmbracePaceUVA) December 3, 2021

That being said… Marques Hagans or Anthony Poindexter now!! They have so much credibility in the state, and they understand UVA better than any outsider. The players would relate to both so well. I’d also like Hagans as OC if Dex becomes HC.
— Fifth Quarter ⚔️UVA⚔️ (@fifthquarteruva) December 2, 2021

In summary: everyone thinks Anthony Poindexter, who was just brought on as the Penn State co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach in February of this year, is clearly the best choice (someone even changed Poindexter’s wikipedia page to say that he became the UVA head football coach in 2022). Also, there were lots of calls for current wide receivers coach Marques Hagans to remain on the staff. More on that later.

Before Carla Williams makes the call to Anthony Poindexter, someone should check in on Chris Long, who didn’t *entirely* reject the possibility.

https://t.co/9ScApc2woS
— chris long (@JOEL9ONE) December 3, 2021

At any rate, the reactions on social media were almost as captivating as the news of Bronco Mendenhall’s resignation.

Read more from Cavaliers Now