BYU's Bronco Mendenhall connected to Colorado opening

A "West Coast source" has informed Woody Paige of the Denver Post that the Colorado Buffaloes are interested in Bronco Mendenhall as a viable candidate to be the program's next head coach.

Paige pegs current Cincinnati coach Butch Jones and Bronco Mendenhall as two coaches Mike Bohn and Colorado are considering most.

An interesting tidbit from Paige's article is as follows:

However, the Buffs will not hire someone who hasn't been a head coach in one of the six major conferences. Petrino and Mangino are definite no's because of their past problems, and Tedford is not a realistic candidate, either. The Buffs don't need a recycled coach who was just fired.

That brings up an interesting question: does Bronco meet that standard because of BYU's independence? He certainly hasn't been a head coach in one of the "six major conferences."

My thoughts on this are simple: I see a 0.000001% chance Bronco coaches at Colorado. Major cultural differences, not just from BYU but from what guides Bronco as a coach, make this highly unlikely. Also, support for athletics from CU's administrators is often said to be lackluster, and Bronco would know this.

Shortly before this season began, we learned that Bronco was part of, and then removed himself from, UCLA's coaching search that eventually ended in hiring Jim Mora, Jr. Why would Bronco, an avid surfer, turn down a coaching gig in Los Angeles, a spot close to the beach with a program in decent shape, then a year later opt to go to Boulder and a program in shambles? A program that was already in shambles, then axed one of its own alumni in Jon Embree after only two years?

Aside from that, I think that when Bronco is done at BYU, he will be done being a head coach. He's often said he is not going to be a life-long college football coach. I don't even think he will reach 2017 as BYU's coach, and would even be surprised if he ended up staying that long.

Colorado may want Mendenhall, but I can't see that move taking place.