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Provo • BYU freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum said Thursday after the Cougars practiced for a second time in preparation for next week's Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl showdown with Utah that it has been a "wild six months" since he returned from an LDS Church mission to Antofogasta, Chile.
He could also have used that term to describe the last six days.
Almost a week after coach Bronco Mendenhall rocked everyone associated with the program with news that he was bolting for Virginia and a $3.25 million annual paycheck, Mangum and three seniors chosen to speak to the media on Thursday — tight end Remington Peck, inside receiver Terenn Houk and defensive end Graham Rowley — said the aftershocks are still being felt.
The biggest one came Wednesday when offensive coordinator Robert Anae announced he was Virginia's new play-caller and was taking quarterbacks coach Jason Beck, running backs coach Mark Atuaia and offensive line coach Garett Tujague with him to Charlottesville shortly after the bowl game on Dec. 19.
Reports came Thursday that two young defensive coaches Mendenhall promoted from graduate assistants — Nick Howell and Kelly Poppinga — are also on their way to Virginia, although there was no official announcement from BYU. Veteran coaches Paul Tidwell (inside linebackers) Steve Kaufusi (defensive line) and Guy Holliday (receivers) are hoping to stay at BYU if the new coach — Navy's Ken Niumatalolo and Oregon State defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake have emerged as the leading candidates — will have them.
No coaches were made available to the media on Thursday, leaving the aforementioned players to describe how practices have gone, how they were informed of the departures, and how preparations for Utah and the bowl game will be affected by having at least seven coaches at practice who won't be around in 10 days.
"I don't think it has affected [preparation] at all," said the ever-positive Mangum. "This week of practice has been really sharp. The whole team, we've been full of energy, full of excitement. If anything, I see us as being even more prepared, even more ready to go. Obviously, we have to learn to compartmentalize and not let the off-field distractions affect our play on the field. I think we are doing a great job with that. We are really keeping the tempo high and keeping the energy high as well."
The Cougars have other issues on their minds — most notably final exams, which for some have been moved up to Friday or Saturday. Many players will have to cram them in on Monday, because the team leaves for Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Houk, who will graduate this month with a degree in sociology, seconded Mangum's notion that preparation won't be affected despite the coaches' torn allegiances.
"Coach Anae told us he is giving as much effort as he can, just like any other game, and our job as players is to just focus on the next game, and that is Utah," Houk said. "I think that the rivalry, in a bowl game, has drawn all the focus away from that sense of the coaches leaving, and it is up to us players to bring it in and just focus on winning."
Peck, the former defensive end who has played tight end the past month, said preparation could go "either way" the next nine days, while describing practices so far as "more loose" and "more fun" than usual.
"For me, it is one last chance to take advantage of our time together," Peck said. "First off, we all get to play together, and we all get to be coached by the coaches that we've had for the past three years. We respect those guys and look up to them a lot. Whoever does leave, they will be missed. Whether it is coach Mendnehall, or anyone else, we want to take advantage of that last time."
The player most affected by the departures of Anae and Beck will be Mangum, the strong-armed QB who was recently named college football's Freshman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio). Mangum said he has hardly given any thought at all to who will be the next head coach or offensive coordinator.
"Obviously we were bummed by the [Anae] news, just like we were with coach Mendenhall. It is never fun to lose a coach, and someone you spend a lot of time with," Mangum said. "We are with him every day. We have grown close to him. So to hear about that, it is tough. But at the same time, we are excited for this last bowl game. He talked about that when he told us. We are still excited to finish the season strong."
At last Friday's news conference, Mangum specifically mentioned wanting Beck to stay, but he won't be getting his wish.
"He is awesome. Coach Beck is one of my favorite guys, and one of my favorite coaches I've ever had in my life," Mangum said. "So I am going to miss him a lot. But I am grateful for this next week to have him here to finish with us."
Twitter: @drewjay —
See ya later?
BYU coaches expected to join Bronco Mendenhall at Virginia:
• Offensive coordinator Robert Anae
• Offensive line coach Garett Tujague
• Quarterbacks coach Jason Beck
• Running backs coach Mark Atuaia
• Defensive coordinator/secondary coach Nick Howell
• Outside linebackers/special teams coach Kelly Poppinga
Note: The offensive coaches have acknowledged their pending departures; the defensive coaches have not.