Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart wasted no time in hiring a new wide receivers coach as Bryan McClendon returned for another stint in Athens, and he nailed the hire. There were some good coaches out there, but McClendon is a 10/10 get because he is one of the best recruiters in the game, is a former Dawg and knows how to develop.
He was the interim head coach for the bowl game in 2015, the year Mark Richt left, and he just had another interim head coach position when Mario Cristobol left for Miami.
There seemed to be some rumors that McClendon was heading to Miami with Cristobol after being his receivers coach the past two seasons, but according to Palmer Thombs of DawgsHQ, he decided to come back to Athens.
Before coaching on the West Coast, he was in South Carolina with another current Georgia assistant coach Will Muschamp where he was on staff from 2016 to 2019.
Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart picked the perfect man for the wide receivers coaching job in Bryan McClendon.
While some may feel like bringing back so many former Georgia players may not be the best option, Smart is wise enough to know a solid football coach, and McClendon is just that.
Plus, Muschamp likely told him how much of an asset he was at South Carolina. It may not have worked out in Columbia, S.C., doesn’t mean he won’t succeed in Athens.
McClendon is so good at what he does. His developmental skills are top-notch, but he can recruit at the same level Smart expects his staff to, making him an even better hire.
State of Georgia HS coaches already texting me. BMAC in state with Dell McGee….. Big time there for #UGA https://t.co/SAOb4h4Hfq
— Rusty Mansell (@RustyMansell_) January 30, 2022
He was responsible for Deebo Samuel, who recorded over 800 yards in 2018, and Bryan Edwards, who had 800-plus in 2019 at South Carolina.
Before he took that job in Columbia, McClendon was in Athens. Richt promoted him from a grad assistant to running backs coach in 2009, and that is where he would stay until 2014 before finishing out his first stint in Athens as the 2015 receivers coach.
Think about the incredible running back names that came through Athens during that time period — Todd Gurley, Keith Mitchell, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, to name a few.
McClendon was responsible for their recruitment and development. Those aren’t even all the names he helped bring into Athens.
He is a Georgia legacy as his dad is Willie McClendon. His nephew Warren McClendon is the starting right tackle for the Dawgs, so his blood runs Red and Black. It was only a matter of time before he came back to coach again.
McClendon has gotten some knowledge the last six years, and now he brings that to the table. Smart isn’t afraid to hire alumni to coach because McClendon is the fourth former Dawg who is now an on-field coach.
Todd Hartley, Smart, Muschamp, and now McClendon are all guys who know what it means to be a Dawg and why it’s important. That trait only helps recruiting. However, it wouldn’t be fair not to give him credit for his coaching skills.
It isn’t just about him being an alumnus — McClendon is a coach that kids relate to and learn a lot from while at Georgia. His offensive mind is wild, and something Todd Monken can appreciate.
Not to mention, Georgia fans all want this offense to evolve, and with McClendon here, he will make sure his receivers are getting touches. This Georgia football program will hit another level with McClendon joining the staff, and Dawg nation should be ecstatic.
McClendon is the best receivers coach in college football right now, at least in our opinion, so buckle up and get ready to see him really hit the ground running. Georgia is already elite, but they needed someone special to replace Hankton, and they got him.