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McClendon staying plus latest on Gamecock football staff (Tuesday update)

TUESDAY 2/18 UPDATE: The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially announced the hire of Ike Hilliard as their wide receivers coach, a position that South Carolina wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon interviewed for last week. Gamecock Central reported on Friday that McClendon would be staying in Columbia, with today's Steelers announcement confirming that.

Here is our initial report from Friday with information on how the Gamecocks' staff will be structured and an additional hire on the defensive side of the ball:

South Carolina assistant Bryan McClendon remains a member of the Gamecock football staff, and former South Carolina linebacker Rod Wilson is set to join the staff barring any last-minute snags, GamecockCentral.com has learned.

- McClendon drew looks from multiple NFL teams this offseason and even turned down more than one opportunity at the professional level. He interviewed with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin for the team's vacant wide receivers coach position but is now expected to stay at South Carolina.

*** Want more behind the scenes on Gamecock football's offseason? Check out the latest Insider Report on GamecockCentral.com ***

- With McClendon returning for the 2020 season, he will continue coaching the team's wide receivers, the position he has tutored under Will Muschamp since the 2015 season.

- Bobby Bentley is expected to return to coaching the team's running backs in 2020, with new staff addition Joe Cox remaining at tight ends, the position he was hired to coach. Mike Bobo will coordinate the offense and take lead on coaching the quarterbacks.

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Bryan McClendon has been a member of Will Muschamp's coaching staff since 2015
Bryan McClendon has been a member of Will Muschamp's coaching staff since 2015 (Chris Gillespie)
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On Friday morning, following the university Board of Trustees' approval of new defensive line coach Tracy Rocker's contract, athletics director Ray Tanner noted that Muschamp would be hiring "another coach within a week."

That coach is expected to be Wilson, a former Gamecocks linebacker who has most recently been a special teams assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wilson, who played six years in the NFL and just captured a Super Bowl as a coach under Andy Reid, spoke with Muschamp multiple times in recent days about the position and is expected to be formally named to the staff in the coming days.

*** Want more behind the scenes on Gamecock football's offseason? Check out the latest Insider Report on GamecockCentral.com ***

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