Oregon football names interim head coach for Alamo Bowl

On Monday, the Oregon Ducks named their interim head coach for the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma. Passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon, in his second year with the program, will step into the role.

McClendon came to Oregon after spending four years as an assistant coach at South Carolina, including the final two as offensive coordinator. He began his coaching career at Georgia – his alma mater – from 2007 to 2015, earning a promotion to assistant head coach ahead of his final season with the Bulldogs. He also served as Georgia’s interim head coach for the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl.
 
“We appreciate Coach McClendon agreeing to accept a leadership role in providing the best possible bowl experience for our student-athletes,” athletic director Rob Mullens said. “His previous experience as an interim head coach is valuable for our program as we prepare for the Alamo Bowl, and we are grateful for his willingness to step up and assume this responsibility for Oregon football.”

The news comes on the same day that Ducks coach Mario Cristobal announced he will become the next head coach at Miami. In four full seasons with the Ducks, Cristobal compiled a 35-13 record and led them to a pair of New Year’s Six bowls.

After a 9-1 start to the season that included a victory against Ohio State, Oregon found itself in the running for a College Football Playoff appearance. The Ducks spent much of the year ranked inside the top four before a Week 12 loss to Utah knocked them out. They again lost to the Utes in the Pac-12 Championship this past week.

In the Alamo Bowl, the Ducks run into an Oklahoma team in a similar situation to them. The Sooners also lost their head coach Lincoln Riley to USC at the conclusion of the regular season. They announced Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as his replacement Monday.

Bob Stoops is set to serve as interim coach for the Sooners in the bowl.