The Atlanta Falcons are eyeing a familiar name in Georgia football circles as they continue their search for an offensive coordinator - Bryan McClendon.
According to reports, the Falcons have officially submitted an interview request for McClendon, who currently serves as the wide receivers coach and pass-game coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Tampa Bay didn’t have the year they hoped for in 2025 - finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs - McClendon was part of a staff that helped engineer one of the league’s most explosive passing attacks just a season earlier. In 2024, the Bucs finished second in the NFL in touchdown passes with 41, a testament to both the talent on the field and the creativity in the coaching room.
McClendon’s coaching resume is deep, and it’s built on a foundation of both high-level experience and strong relationships with players. Before his time in Tampa, he spent two seasons (2022-23) back at his alma mater, the University of Georgia, as the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
His return to Athens couldn’t have been better timed - in 2022, the Bulldogs went a perfect 15-0 and secured their second consecutive national championship. McClendon played a key role in helping develop a receiving corps that complemented Georgia’s power run game and suffocating defense.
Ask anyone who’s played for him, and they’ll tell you McClendon is a coach who commands respect without needing to raise his voice. He’s known for being direct, detailed, and all about the work - traits that resonate with players looking for both structure and support.
As Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint put it back in 2022, “He’s about his business. He’s very straightforward… very clear about everything.
He’s going to make us work.”
Of course, McClendon’s connection to Georgia runs far deeper than a coaching stint. He was a four-year letterman for the Bulldogs from 2002 to 2005, hauling in 56 catches for 830 yards over his career.
His senior season was his best - he caught all six of his career touchdown passes that year, including a memorable game-winner against Georgia Tech. He also made his mark on special teams, blocking a punt in Georgia’s SEC Championship win over LSU.
That senior class ended up winning 44 games, which at the time was a program record.
After a brief stint with the Chicago Bears, McClendon transitioned into coaching. He returned to Georgia in 2007 as a graduate assistant and worked his way up the ladder, becoming the running backs coach in 2009 - a role he held for six seasons.
In 2015, he added assistant head coach, wide receivers coach, and pass game coordinator to his title. When longtime head coach Mark Richt was let go at the end of the 2015 season, McClendon was named interim head coach and led the Bulldogs to a TaxSlayer Bowl win over Penn State.
That one game made him, technically, the winningest coach in Georgia history by percentage (1.000).
After his time in Athens, McClendon continued to build his coaching résumé across the college football landscape. He joined Will Muschamp’s staff at South Carolina, coaching there from 2016 through 2019. After the 2020 season, he moved on to Oregon, where he served as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Now, with the Falcons in need of a fresh offensive voice, McClendon’s name is back in the mix - and for good reason. He brings a blend of NFL experience, college success, and a reputation as a player-first coach who knows how to connect and communicate. If Atlanta is looking for someone who understands the game from the ground up - and who knows what it means to lead - McClendon checks a lot of boxes.