First of all I think it is the job of fans to level criticism where it is due...and Bronco is deserving of his share. Also, Bronco is not perfect so maybe someone could come in and do better in some areas. But they could also come in and do much worse in some areas as well

What Bronco has done in his tenure as head coach of BYU is not only acceptable, it is downright amazing.

Given the fact that there are inherent limitations on what the football program can do, it automatically takes someone very special to be able to build a program with those limitations. Limitations include but are not limited to: Geography, Religion, Honor Code (not the same as religion), Missionaries (not HC or Religion), being MWC/Independent. For example recruiting players who are LDS was almost a given from 1970's to mid 1990's. Since then, BYU is losing more and more top LDS players to teams in power conferences. If you take a teams recruiting base, and take a slice out, you expect it impact the bottom line. Under Bronco, he has achieved amazing results in spite of the fact that the recruiting base is eroding.

The ESPN contact helps mitigate some of the limitations providing exposure. Exposure helps BYU get into more recruits homes, and sign good players that are not LDS nationwide. But that is only good if you are winning. And BYU has provided as much Value to ESPN as ESPN has provided to BYU. That would not be the case if the head coach was a bumbling idiot. That does not happen by accident.

As an independent, the schedule is much more difficult than it has ever been at BYU. Look at the teams BYU is playing. Nebraska, Notre Dame, Boise St, Texas, Michigan, UCLA, and so on. In the face of that, and with all those limitations, BYU is not only winning, they are doing so at a rate that is in the top 15% of the nation over the 11 years he has been the coach. Bronco still has not endured a losing season. Something other coaches in this state wish they could say.

Many people do not realize that BYU is going through the second best stretch of football results in its entire history. All of this is under the watch of Bronco. They have done this without playing a watered down WAC schedule and by adding in the tougher teams I previously mentioned. Again, it does not happen by accident. Only during the very best 10 years of Lavell's tenure did BYU eclipse what is currently happening under Bronco. BYU had many more advantages to achieve those slightly better results like playing weaker (much weaker) teams, having an offense no one had a clue how to defend, and cornering the market on LDS high school players. I don't take anything away from those teams, it was awesome to see and I lived and watched it all.

I think too much emphasis is put on beating the dirty trout craps up north. Sure Lavell won 18 of his first 20 games against the Utes, and it made us all think that was going to continue forever. But the 11 years of Bronco's tenure just so happened to coincide with the 12 most prolific years in the Ute football programs history. Lavell was beating a Utah team that was no better than the Wyomings or Uteps of the world in the 80's. I guarantee you if Utah is again bad enough to go 2-9 or 3-8 every year, BYU will again be destroying then on the same level. No one gets more upset after a loss to Utah than me. NO ONE!!!! I want BYU to beat them more than any other team. It is not ever going to be a cake walk like it used to be, it has to be earned. And it is way more satisfying to beat a good Utah team by 1 than to destroy a horrible one. Our day will come. Bronco is not the only reason BYU loses to Utah. You have to give credit where it is due, and Utah is a pretty good football program right now.

I have seen so many other programs make the mistake of thinking the grass is greener over there, and find out that it is not and they suffer (Nebraska, Texas)

I criticize Bronco like any fan would, but I am also a big Bronco fan because I know what he is doing is downright awesome and will continue to get better.