Outback Bowl win lands Bryan McClendon new OC job

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Will Muschamp says it was the “intangibles” that helped Bryan McClendon earn the new offensive coordinator position.

But the tangible points didn’t hurt either.

McClendon served as the interim offensive coordinator in Monday’s Outback Bowl win over Michigan. The Gamecocks scored 23 unanswered points and rallied from a 16-point deficit to win 26-19 and secure McClendon’s promotion.

“When I wanted to go a different direction for the bowl game and talking to Bryan, I said ‘Listen, I just want to be balanced, I want to dictate the tempo of the game, and I want to be aggressive,'” said Muschamp in Friday morning’s press conference introducing McClendon. “And he did all of those things.”

For McClendon, who’s served as the wide receivers coach for the Gamecocks the last two seasons, the opportunity to not only stay on staff, but stay in the same place, was too appealing to turn down.

“Moving sucks,” McClendon said. “It’s hard on the family, so we wanted to choose a place when we left that we felt like we could be at for a while.”

McClendon’s contract is expected to be approved by the Board of Trustees next Friday.