ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It was only 15 practices, but UNM Head Football Coach Bronco Mendenhall said the last month has felt like three years. While the recruiting grind will continue, practice will come to a halt for a few months as the Lobos concluded spring ball on Saturday.
Even though it has only been a short amount of time under the new coaching regime, the consensus around the program is that the culture has already completely changed. From on the fieldwork to the attitude the players carry into the classroom, the positivity within the program is infectious.
“I actually believe you can transform a program in 15 practices,” said Mendenhall. “That might seem idealistic or optimistic, but yet, I think we usually get what we ask for and expect from others. Sharing that vision is important, so they, our team, has come a long way.”
Multiple players said that this was the hardest spring season they had ever gone through. In addition to the cultural changes, the new intensity helped them progress on the field more than any other team they’ve played for.
“I feel like we worked harder than most people in this country,” said running back Andrew “Dolla” Henry. “Just the way we practiced ourselves, moved from drill to drill, from team installs to walkthroughs, to meetings. You say one month but it feels like we’ve been in practice for a whole year. I feel like we could play the season right now after this spring.”
The Lobos open the season on Saturday, August 24.
