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During the week after BYU defeated California 42-35 in Berkeley, BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall has mostly been out recruiting. Pictures of Mendenhall and other Cougar coaches with recruits have been posted on Twitter and other social media websites.

Apparently, Mendenhall has also taken the time to discuss the vacant head coaching position at his alma mater, Oregon State.

Jamie Newberg, a national recruiting analyst for Scout.com, reported Tuesday on the Coaching Ticker website that is part of Scout.com that he has been told that Mendenhall is one of four candidates.

Wrote Newberg:

"I have been told that Oregon State has had phone discussions with four candidates for their head coaching vacancy - Brady Hoke, BYU coach Brono(sic) Mendenhall, Utah State coach Matt Wells and Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin."

Will Mendenhall take the OSU job if it is offered to him? I don't think so.

My primary reasoning is that Mendenhall has always said he has to coach at a place with a "purpose" or a "mission" or a "uniqueness to it," something that few schools across the country have. He's mentioned military schools such as Army, Navy and Air Force, and faith-based schools such as BYU, Notre Dame and Boston College.

In Mendenhall's mind, OSU doesn't have that.

Yes, he played for the Beavers and also coached there (before the entire staff was fired).

Perhaps that is why I have never heard Bronco express any kind of fondness for, or appreciation of, Oregon State.

He's had plenty of chances, too, because the Cougars have played the Beavers three times in the past six years, and Mendenhall has been asked every time in press briefings and the like for his recollections of his days at Oregon State.

He will tell the story about forgetting where he parked his car, or how he went to OSU only because it was on BYU's schedule and he wanted to get back at the Cougars for not offering him a scholarship out of American Fork High or Snow College.

He talks a lot more about his time on Rocky Long's staff at New Mexico, working with future Chicago Bears standout Brian Urlacher and developing his defensive philosophies.

I could be wrong, but I just don't see Mendenhall being swayed by the opportunity to make more money, either.

We will see, I guess.