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BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall and athletic director Tom Holmoe were in Miami on Thursday, meeting with officials of the Miami Beach Bowl and taking part in a press conference.

Meanwhile, Mendenhall's director of football operations, Zach Nyborg, was starting to say his goodbyes in Provo. Nyborg, who joined the football staff last April after a short stint at Wisconsin, is re-joining Gary Andersen at Oregon State. It is not clear yet what Nyborg's job description will be at OSU.

It is also not clear whether Nyborg will stay at BYU through the bowl game. A football ops guy is responsible for a lot of details in the weeks and days leading up to a bowl.

BYU officials did not immediately respond to inquiries Thursday seeking more information on Nyborg's departure.

His departure means Mendenhall will have to find a football operations director, a strength and conditioning coach (to replace Jay Omer) and a new secretary. Yes, Bronco's secretary, aka office manager, Carey Hoki Sorensen, has announced she is also leaving. She married former BYU kicker Justin Sorensen last summer.

There is other football news to pass along before Mendenhall meets with the media Friday morning for the first time since the regular season ended at California on Nov. 28.

* It has been known for awhile that sophomore safety Dallin Leavitt plans to transfer. Leavitt confirmed that Thursday on Twitter, thanking his teammates and others who supported him at BYU.

"I am leaving BYU only with feelings of gratitude for amazing opportunities and appreciation and respect for the relationships I have made here," Leavitt said.

He did not say where he is headed, but there have been reports that it might be Utah State.

* Another product of the state of Oregon, offensive lineman Brayden Kearsley, is also transferring and will not travel to the bowl game with the team. A source close to Kearsley, from Oregon's Aloha High School, said he will most likely transfer to Oregon State, and that he loves the fact that Nyborg is also heading to Corvallis.

* News also broke on Twitter, and was confirmed by The Tribune, that BYU receiver Dylan Collie will transfer to Hawaii when he returns home from a church mission in January. Collie is the brother of former BYU receiver and six-year NFL veteran Austin Collie.