People don't realize how strategically important it was to get Whit from a football perspective. It really was absolutely vital, and we blew it. If we hire Whit away from Utah, they have no second undefeated season. They probably end up the the OC that totally bombed at UNLV, or someone else that would be awful just like their basketball team. Right now Utah would be on their second or third coach, and would not be in a P5 conference.

Whit wouldn't have done a better job than Bronco - he inherited more talent and up until this season has done less overall with the early moved advantage he had. We would have more big wins, and more ugly losses. However, in harming the UU, we would have made our team much, much better. Take away Whit, and we probably go undefeated against Utah in the last 10 years.

It was a huge strategic error for Lavell to not hire him away. It was a huge strategic error for Crowton not to hire him away. It was a huge strategic error for BYU to remain in the WAC and not go independent.

However, hiring Bronco was a huge strategic win from a religious standpoint. I don't know that another coach would have come up with the fireside idea, and stuck with it even when the first one at New Mexico was small and poorly attended. I think it has been a huge thing for the church to have the firesides.

For example, when I was in Arizona I took a boy I home taught to the fireside. He was African American, and was the son of a single mom. He finally got to see LDS role models that were African American, LDS, and athletic. Right now that doesn't describe any active preisthood holder in my ward, and few in our entire stake judging from stake conference. It adresses a demographic that has been very difficult for the church to reach - young African American men. If Bronco has done nothing besides that, perhaps the strategic gain from a longer term perspective, is more important than the strategic gain of hiring Whitt.

Go Cougs!!!!!!