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South Carolina first-year offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon has apparently been floated as a possibility to replace East Carolina coach Scottie Montgomery, according to Brad Crawford of 247Sports.
South Carolina OC Bryan McClendon's name has entered the East Carolina coaching fray, I'm told. Pirates expected to make the call on Scottie Montgomery after Saturday's game vs. NCSU. His buyout goes from $1.2M to 800K on Sunday.
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) November 26, 2018
McClendon, who was internally promoted from wide receivers coach after former coordinator Kurt Roper’s dismissal, has been enjoying a quietly impressive debut this season. The Gamecocks rank seventh in the SEC in total offense (averaging 445 yards per game), fifth in passing and receiving, and are putting up an average of 33 points per game, also good for seventh in the conference. South Carolina is currently 33rd nationally in total offense, up all the way from 108th (!) last season.
The Gamecocks are also coming off a program record-setting performance against Clemson’s vaunted and stingy defense, rolling up 600 yards of total offense for a Palmetto Bowl best and also notching their first back-to-back 600-yard games in program history (602 against Chattanooga).
East Carolina is currently 3-8 (1-7 American), with an upcoming game this weekend against N.C. State. In 2015, the Pirates fired longtime coach and alum Ruffin McNeil in favor of Montgomery, who was Duke’s offensive coordinator during the Blue Devils’ successful run a few years back. However, his record at ECU is 9-26.