McClendon Promoted to Offensive Coordinator
Jan. 5, 2018
COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina head football coach Will Muschamp has promoted Bryan McClendon to offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach and has named Dan Werner quarterbacks coach, it was announced today.
McClendon, 34, served as the offensive coordinator for the Gamecocks in their 26-19 Outback Bowl win over Michigan on January 1. He has been on the Carolina coaching staff for the past two seasons, working as the co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach. He will continue to coach the wide receivers while taking over the play-calling duties for the Gamecocks in 2018.
“Bryan has prepared himself to take on the offensive coordinator duties and made the most of his opportunity at the Outback Bowl,” said Coach Muschamp. “He did an outstanding job of preparing our football team offensively leading up to the game. He also made several adjustments during the game that allowed us to take advantage of some of the things we saw against one of the nation’s top defenses, and that showed up when we put together three-consecutive scoring drives in the second half.”
In the Outback Bowl win, the Carolina offense tallied the third-highest point total surrendered by Michigan this season and gained 300 yards against the nation’s third-ranked defense, including 239 yards through the air against the nation’s top-ranked pass defense.
McClendon, who was recognized as one of the nation’s top 25 recruiters for the 2017 cycle by Rivals.com, has already proven to be an outstanding running backs and wide receiver coach during his career. He had a very young stable of receivers this past season, with no seniors on the roster. After an early season injury took standout Deebo Samuel out of the mix, McClendon groomed sophomore Bryan Edwards (64 catches, 793 yards) and true freshmen OrTre Smith and Shi Smith into a formidable unit.
Under McClendon’s guidance, Samuel and Edwards, developed into one of the SEC’s finest receiving duos during the 2016 campaign. Samuel paced the team with 59 receptions for 783 yards, while Edwards turned in the second-best true freshman season in Gamecock history, behind only Alshon Jeffery, logging 44 catches for 590 yards.
McClendon came to Columbia following a stint at his alma mater, the University of Georgia. A former Bulldog wide receiver, McClendon held several titles during the 2015 regular season, including wide receivers coach, assistant head coach and passing game coordinator. He was named interim head coach of the Bulldogs on Dec. 3, 2015, and served in that capacity through Georgia’s appearance in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl, a 24-17 win over Penn State. From 2009-2014, he was the Bulldogs’ running backs coach. McClendon also served as recruiting coordinator in 2014-15.
While he was a member of the full-time coaching staff, Georgia teams won 64 games and two SEC Eastern Division titles. McClendon was part of an offensive staff that led Georgia to the 2014 SEC scoring offense title (41.3 ppg) and three consecutive record-setting seasons: total yards in a season (6,547 in 2012, 6,294 in 2013, 5,964 in 2014); average yards per game (467.64 in 2012, 484.2 in 2013, 458.8 in 2014); and most TDs in a season (72 in 2012, 58 in 2013, 70 in 2014).
He has coached some of the country’s top tailbacks including Todd Gurley (2015 1st round draft choice of the St. Louis Rams), 2014 Freshman All-American Nick Chubb, and 2011 SEC Freshman of the Year Isaiah Crowell.
Werner, a highly-successful veteran offensive mind, is currently serving as an offensive analyst at the University of Alabama under head coach Nick Saban after spending the five previous seasons as the co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at the University of Mississippi under head coach Hugh Freeze.
“Dan is a great developer of quarterbacks and an accomplished play-caller who brings a wealth of experience to our staff,” said Coach Muschamp. “He will be a tremendous asset to Coach McClendon in the offensive staff room. Having gone against his offenses numerous times over the years, I know first-hand what challenges he creates for defenses.”
In 2016, Ole Miss led the SEC in passing offense (314.9 yards per game), was third in total offense (464.3 ypg) and fourth in scoring offense at 32.6 points per game.
With Werner helping direct the Rebel offense in 2015 and with Chad Kelly at quarterback, Ole Miss set program records for scoring (531), touchdowns (68), total offense (6,731), passing yards (4,351), passing touchdowns (35), 50+ point games (4) and games with more than 600 yards of offense (3). The Rebels led the SEC and were top-10 nationally in scoring (40.8), total offense (517.8 ypg) and passing (334.7 ypg), garnering Werner his second nomination for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach.
The quarterback development did not start with Kelly. Under Werner’s tutelage, Bo Wallace broke Ole Miss school records for career total offensive yards (10,478), 300-yard passing games (11), completion percentage (63.0) and pass efficiency (140.8) and went 24-15 as the Rebels’ starting quarterback. In just three years as a starter, Wallace ranked in the SEC’s top 10 all-time in total offense and passing yards.
As a unit in 2013, the Ole Miss offense scored more than 30 points per game. Ole Miss broke then-school records for total offense (473.3 ypg), pass completions (310) and pass attempts (490). The Rebels ranked third in the SEC in passing offense (283.3 ypg) and fifth in total offense, while finishing top 25 in the NCAA in both categories.
In 2012, Werner helped turn around a Rebel offense that ranked at or near the bottom of the SEC in every statistical category in 2011 to rank top five in the SEC and top 50 in the nation in scoring, total offense and passing.
Werner boasts three decades of coaching experience, including a total of eight years in two terms at the University of Miami when he tutored outstanding quarterbacks and directed some of the best offenses in college football.
Werner helped Miami to eight bowls, four national championship games and three national titles during his combined tenure. He also played an integral part in the development of several of the Hurricanes’ greatest quarterbacks, including 2001 Maxwell Award winner Ken Dorsey, 1992 Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta as well as Heisman candidates Steve Walsh and Craig Erickson.
The Miami passing game flourished under Werner’s guidance. In 2001 and 2002, Dorsey posted totals impressive enough to place high in voting for the Heisman Trophy both years. In 2004, he tutored Brock Berlin to a resurgence, as Berlin moved into the Miami record book with single-season rankings of seventh in touchdown passes, ninth in passing yards, and 10th in total offense.
Over his last five seasons (2001-05) at Miami, Hurricane quarterbacks threw for more than 14,500 yards and 114 touchdowns under Werner, giving balance to an offensive philosophy predicated on equality between the run and the pass. The 2005 Canes finished 9-3 and ranked third in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring offense (27.1) and pass efficiency (133.6).
Werner’s second stint in Coral Gables was preceded by a spectacular 2000 season as offensive coordinator at Murray State. He built the Racers offense into one of the most potent on the FCS level, as the team ranked 11th nationally in total offense (452 yards per game) and 13th nationally in passing yardage (276 yards per game).
Prior to his lone season at Murray State, Werner was an offensive consultant to Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville during the 1999 season. Before the job at Auburn, Werner was an assistant coach at James Madison University for four seasons from 1995-98. He began his tenure at JMU as assistant head coach/quarterback coach/passing game coordinator in 1995. In 1997, he was promoted to offensive coordinator/assistant head coach. From 1991-94, Werner coached at Louisiana Tech, where he was an assistant coach in charge of running backs and inside receivers. In 1993, he was promoted to offensive coordinator/quarterback coach.
Werner joined the coaching staff at UNLV in the spring of 1990. At UNLV, he was an assistant coach in charge of quarterbacks. In the fall of 1990, Werner left the college game for one season to serve as offensive line coach at Miami’s Southridge High School.
As a graduate assistant at Miami during the 1987-88 seasons, Werner worked with UM quarterbacks Steve Walsh, Craig Erickson and Gino Torretta during an era in which the Hurricanes went 23-1 and won the 1987 national championship. In 1989, he was a volunteer assistant coach working with the wide receivers on another Miami national championship team.
Werner began his college coaching career in 1986 as an assistant at Cornell University. Prior to that, Werner coached five seasons on the high school level.
Werner graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education in 1983. He attended Parkway Central High School.
Werner’s wife’s name is Caysie. He has two children, Maya and Ian.
