SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

When the Gamecocks announced the official hiring of Mike Bobo earlier this month, it created what could be an awkward situation at least on paper with his predecessor Bryan McClendon on staff.

But, as Bobo takes over trying to fix an offense that finished near the bottom of the SEC in most statistical categories last year, McClendon is handling his new role as well as he possibly could.

“He’s handling it like he handles everything in life, first class,” Will Muschamp said. “Bryan’s an outstanding football coach. He's an outstanding receiver's coach. He's an outstanding offensive coordinator, you know.”

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Bobo and McClendon have a great working relationship, having spent time together on the Georgia coaching staff for the better part of a decade, up until 2015 when Bobo left to take the head coaching job at Colorado State.

McClendon ultimately took a job in 2016 as the Gamecocks’ receivers coach in 2016 where he’s been since then.

Bobo also joins a staff with Thomas Brown, who was on Georgia’s staff in 2011 and 2015, who’s currently the Gamecocks’ running back coach.

“I've worked with Coach McClendon side-by-side for, I believe, eight years at the University of Georgia,” Bobo said. “I think the world of both of those guys. Those are two guys that worked extremely hard as players. Did everything you asked, they were team guys and now they do a great job coaching.”

Bobo has only been on the job for about two weeks but has spent that time getting to know the team’s personnel, recruits and the staff he’ll be coaching with.

He was with the group his first weekend in Columbia where he was able to see how McClendon and Brown, along with the rest of the staff, interacted with potential players.

“I got to be around them this weekend while they were recruiting and be around them with their families and how they interacted with families. And it's the type of atmosphere that you want to be with,” Bobo said. “I'm excited about that room, that's always got a lot to do with it when you're deciding to go somewhere, is what type of room are you going to walk in and we're already in there meeting right now and I feel great about it.”

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McClendon was demoted from his offensive coordinator spot the day after South Carolina’s season was over, putting an end to his two years as the team’s play caller.

It was a struggle for the majority of the year with the Gamecocks averaged just 22.4 points per game and just 5.2 yards per play. They scored one touchdown over their final three games as well.

Muschamp said McClendon understands the business and isn’t too shaken up with his new role.

“There were some things that were out of Bryan's control this year that occurred on our offensive football team that he had nothing to do with, and that made it very difficult to be as productive as we needed to be productive,” Muschamp said. “But he understands the profession and that's part of it but he's going to be an outstanding offensive coordinator again. He's going to be a head coach again.”

Right now, McClendon is on staff and a title is still to be determined, Muschamp said. He came in as receivers coach and has been the leader of that position group since his arrival in Columbia.