TAMPA ― The Bucs stayed in the Southeastern Conference to bolster their offensive staff, hiring Georgia assistant Bryan McClendon as their wide receivers coach.
He replaces Brad Idzik, who opted to join Dave Canales’ Carolina Panthers staff as offensive coordinator.
The Bucs earlier this month hired former Kentucky and Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen to run their offense following Canales’ departure.
McClendon, 40, most recently coached receivers and served as the Bulldogs’ passing game coordinator. He began his coaching career at Georgia as a graduate assistant in 2007 and coached running backs from 2009-14.
McClendon was promoted to assistant head coach, wide receivers coach and run game coordinator in 2015. He was named interim head coach after Mark Richt left late in the season and led Georgia to a win over Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
After Georgia hired Kirby Smart as head coach before the 2016 season, McClendon left to become co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach at South Carolina. He was elevated to offensive coordinator in 2018 but lost play-calling duties after the offense scored only one touchdown over its final 12 quarters of the 2019 season. He stayed on as receivers coach.
McClendon spent 2020-21 as passing game coordinator and receivers coach at Oregon and served as interim head coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl, which the Ducks lost to Oklahoma. He accepted a position as co-offensive coordinator at Miami in 2022 before Georgia brought him back as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.
While at Georgia, McClendon worked with some good running backs, including Isaiah Crowell, Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.
He is the son of former Georgia running back Willie McClendon. He was SEC Player of the Year in 1978 before going on to play for the Chicago Bears.
McClendon inherits a Bucs receivers room that should get younger. Mike Evans is set to become an unrestricted free agent, and Chris Godwin is in the final year of his contract. Tampa Bay is hoping to develop players at that position, such as Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett.
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