Wednesday, February 04, 2009

After speaking to the Cougar Club and showing video highlights of the 21 football players that BYU signed today, coach Bronco Mendenhall walked from the Cougar Room at LaVell Edwards Stadium to the north end of the stadium to talk to the media and answer questions.

But after just one or two questions, Mendenhall pulled a written apology from recruit Kyle Van Noy from his jacket pocket, and read the following:

"I would like to sincerely apologize to coach Mendenhall, his staff, players and the BYU fans. This past weekend I received a DUI citation, which will delay my arrival. I know that I have disappointed you, my family, friends.
You have my firm commitment that I will do what it takes to earn back your trust and be part of BYU's winning tradition."

Mendenhall said he visited Van Noy and his family last Friday, then received the "saddening news" on Monday when he arrived at his office.

Here are the rest of his comments regarding the star recruit and how he decided to delay Van Noy's entrance into BYU until next January:

"So I did have a choice, so it is clear for everybody, to withdraw a scholarship, or to stay with him. He committed to me and I committed to him quite a while ago, even though it was not made public until recently.

"I believe he needs BYU. I am not going anywhere. And the institution didn't ask me to delay his enrollment. I chose to do that.

"So I intend to bring him in next January. And he will have between now and then to make correct decisions in his life, re-establish who he wants to be, and I believe he has committed to do so.

"I don't think I have ever dealt [with the media] in a manner that isn't straightforward, and my hope is that by presenting it exactly like that each of you will use discretion in helping this young man grow and be embraced by this institution as I believe in.

"Even though we did receive his letter of intent, I found out Monday regarding him and have been working, and did give him the option to choose elsewhere, and he said absolutely not. [He] was highly recruited, and wants to be here. And I think that speaks a lot to him."

So he won't be here this fall?

"He won't. I have asked him to demonstrate between now and this same time next year to be ready to come to BYU and through his actions show us that, and so we hope next January is when he will be ready to arrive."

Could he have helped you next year?

"He most likely could have helped us -- I am always hesitant to predict, you know, how freshmen will play. But certainly we liked him from the beginning athletically. But what I liked more was he was honest from the minute we started recruiting him as to what his current struggles were, and why he wanted to be here.

"As many of you know, I am not so interested -- I have to be aware of what is being said -- but again, some of these kids need BYU. Those are the ones that I am going to stick by. If you look at the record since I have been the head coach, I have only taken away one scholarship from a current player in four years."

Did you consult with the Honor Code office over this one?

"I handled it. But I did make the university aware of how I was going to handle it. I wasn't [asked to], but I did.

"The institution over the past four years has really trusted that I will do what's right, and I think I have -- not only for the institution but the other kids in the program."

Is there a legal reason why he couldn't enroll in the fall, or is it more your call?

"Two things that I can address. From the institution standpoint, things that would prevent admission would be, No. 1, not a current endorsement. No. 2, you are not out from under the jurisdiction of the court. Both of those most likely would have happened before January.....So I added a little bit more [time] to make sure he was ready. That wasn't recommended by anybody else. That was my choice."

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Van Noy's hometown newspaper, the Reno Gazette Journal, filed this report, which sheds some light on the previous situation that Mendenhall alluded to.