Ducks News: McClendon Interim Coach, Thibodeaux Going Pro

EUGENE, OR —Hours after former Oregon Ducks coach Mario Cristobal left Eugene for the University of Miami, Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens named assistant Bryan McClendon as the Ducks interim head coach on Monday.

McClendon is expected to lead No. 15 Oregon (10-3) against No. 14 Oklahoma (10-2) in the Dec. 29 Valero Alamo Bowl.

The 37-year-old McClendon is in his second season with the Ducks, and was the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach until his new assignment.

A former wide receiver at University of Georgia, McClendon coached at his alma mater from 2007 to 2015, serving as the assistant head coach in his final season. He also was the Bulldogs interim head coach for the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl.

Prior to coming to Eugene, McClendon spent four years as an assistant at University of South Carolina, the final two as the Gamecocks offensive coordinator.

"We appreciate coach McClendon agreeing to accept a leadership role in providing the best possible bowl experience for our student-athletes," 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."

Earlier Monday, Mullens said the "search is underway to find another excellent football coach" to replace Cristobal on a full-time basis.

McClendon and the new head coach will have to get by without superstar defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who said on Monday that he will be skipping his senior season and entering the NFL Draft.

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has Thibodeaux as the No. 1 overall prospect, while fellow ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay lists the 6-foot-5, 258-pound Thibodeaux as the No. 2 prospect.

ESPN also reported that Thibodeaux will not be playing in the Alamo Bowl.

"Thank you for embracing a kid from South Central, Los Angeles and giving me the opportunity to transition into a man ready to take on the world," Thibodeaux wrote in a twitter post to Duck Nation. "From the football experiences, my classroom challenges, all the way to the learning experiences gained through interacting with the different people in Eugene.

"The last 3 years have truly been a sacred period of time that I have embraced in every step of my life."

The Ducks also learned Monday that three of their top high school recruits for next year have decommitted from the program— news that is not totally surprising after a coaching change.

According to UPI, offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, quarterback Tanner Bailey and linebacker T.J. Dudley all said they would be opening up their recruitment again after Cristobal's departure.

Banks, from Houston, is rated as the No. 33 player in the ESPN 300 ranking of the class of 2022. Bailey, from Gordo, Alabama, is rated as No. 139 in the ESPN 300, and Dudley, from Montgomery, Alabama, is rated No. 232 in the ESPN 300.