PROVO -- Veteran assistant coach Lance Reynolds has announced he will remain on the coaching staff at BYU. Reynolds, who just completed his 22nd year as an assistant coach for the Cougars, will serve as the assistant head coach under Bronco Mendenhall.
"I honor and respect the traditions of BYU," Reynolds said. "I have a great love for the players, both past and present. I'm looking forward to working with Coach Mendenhall and his staff as we work together to mold the future of this program. I have a huge respect for the traditions of our program. My roots run deep--very, very deep--for the BYU football program."
In addition to his duties as an assistant head coach, Mendenhall said Reynolds will remain as an assistant coach on the offensive side of the ball. He will handle a variety of administrative duties, including working with on-campus auxiliaries and assisting players with academic and student-life matters.
"I'm thrilled," Mendenhall said. "Lance is a very important member of this coaching staff. In looking for immediate success, he is a key ingredient. He will provide an important link to the past and serve as the voice of reason. We will rely on him for his sound wisdom. He will play a major role in helping to determine the direction of the program."
Reynolds has been an assistant coach on the BYU staff since coming to Provo from Ricks College in 1983. He is a veteran of 16 bowl games, including the Cougars' 1984 National Championship victory over Michigan in the 1984 Holiday Bowl, as well as the 1996 Cotton Bowl victory of Kansas State to finish 14-1 on the season. Since coming to BYU, Reynolds has helped guide the Cougars to 13 conference championships, including five straight WAC titles from 1989-1993.
He has recruited or coached BYU notables such as Vai Sikahema, Lakei Heimuli, Jamal Willis, Brian McKenzie, Ronney Jenkins and Luke Staley. Reynolds has coach four of the six players in BYU history who have rushed for over 1,000 yards in a single season. Interestingly, Reynolds also blocked for Pete VanValkenburg as a freshman offensive lineman when VanValkenburg led the nation with 1,386 yards rushing in 1972.
Over the past 22 seasons, Reynolds has served as the junior varsity coordinator, running backs coach, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
A native of Salt Lake City, Reynolds attended Granite High School where he was an all-state lineman as a junior and senior. At Granite HS, Reynolds helped lead his team to a third-place finish in the state, ending the season with a 10-1 record.
Enrolling at BYU in 1972, Reynolds saw action at both guard and tackle as a freshman and sophomore. Following the 1973 season, Reynolds did something not many BYU players were doing at the time--he left football to serve a two-year mission for the Church in Seattle, Wash.
After returning from his mission, Reynolds earned All-WAC honors as an offensive tackle for the Cougars. He was also named to the Western Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference team. At the end of his senior season, he played in the East-West Shrine game and was later drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He split one season with Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia Eagles before he was forced to retire from the game with a nagging knee injury.
Reynolds is married to the former Leslie Nielsen of Murray, Utah. The couple has five children: Brittany (27), Lance Jr. (24), Dallas (20), Matt (18) and Houston (16).
REYNOLDS PROFILE
Name: Robert Lance Reynolds
Age: 50
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Wife: Leslie Nielsen
Married: June 21, 1976; Salt Lake LDS Temple
Children: Brittany, Lance, Jr., Matt, Dallas, Houston
Parents: C. Shirley (deceased) and Ruth
Mission: Seattle, Washington (1971-73)
Education: B.S. Physical Education; 1980 -- Brigham Young University
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
Granite High School
All-State; 1970-1971
Led team to a third-place finish as a junior with a 10-1 record
Brigham Young -- 1972-73, 1976-77
Honorable Mention All-American; 1977
All-WAC; 1977
Academic All-WAC; 1977
NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers (9th Round Draft Pick); 1978
NFL - Philadelphia Eagles; 1978
COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Brigham Young - 1979-80
Graduate Assistant
Junior Varsity Coordinator
Snow College -- 1981
Assistant Head Coach; Offensive Coordinator; Running Backs
Ricks College -- 1982
Assistant Head Coach; Offensive Coordinator; Running Backs
Brigham Young -- 1983-1984
Running Backs; Junior Varsity Coordinator
Brigham Young -- 1985-1999
Running Backs
Brigham Young -- 2000
Assistant Head Coach; Offensive Coordinator; Running Backs
Brigham Young -- 2001-2003
Assistant Head Coach; Offensive Line
Brigham Young -- 2004-present
Assistant Head Coach; Running Backs
BOWL GAME EXPERIENCE: 16
Holiday Bowl; 1983 (WAC Champions)
Holiday Bowl; 1984 (National Champions)
Florida Citrus Bowl; 1985 (WAC Champions)
Freedom Bowl; 1986
All-American Bowl; 1987
Freedom Bowl; 1988
Holiday Bowl; 1989 (WAC Champions)
Holiday Bowl; 1990 (WAC Champions)
Holiday Bowl; 1991 (WAC Champions)
Aloha Bowl; 1992 (WAC Champions)
Holiday Bowl; 1993 (WAC Champions)
Copper Bowl; 1994 (WAC Champions)
Cotton Bowl; 1996 (WAC Champions)
Liberty Bowl; 1998 (WAC Champions)
Motor City Bowl; 1999 (Mountain West Champions)
Liberty Bowl; 2001 (Mountain West Champions)