Bryan McClendon: 'We can't let the people [who aren't] here affect the people that are here'

Bryan McClendon is in a unique spot. He’s Oregon’s interim coach after Mario Cristobal left for Miami, but Dan Lanning is taking over as the headman next season.

But as the Ducks get ready to play Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, McClendon isn’t talking about people outside the program. He’s focused on the task at hand — and he wants his players to be, too.

“We’ve earned this opportunity to go out there and play a really good team,” McClendon told reporters this week. “It’s not like we’re playing some chopped liver. We’re playing the University of Oklahoma. That team deserves all of our attention, all of the respect, all of our focus right now.

“The thing is we can’t let people [who aren’t] here affect the people that are here. Right now, we owe it to everybody that’s in there to go out there and do the best that we can for each other because right now, that’s what we have. We’re looking forward to it. We’re looking forward to that opportunity to go out there and … play against the University of Oklahoma.”

Oregon went 10-3 overall and 7-2 in Pac-12 action under Cristobal this season. He left earlier this month to take the head coach job at Miami, his alma mater.

Lanning was announced as his replacement on Dec. 11 and will continue to serve as Georgia’s defensive coordinator through the College Football Playoff.

Bryan McClendon evaluates how Oregon players are handling coaching change

Several college football teams across the country are in flux heading into the bowl season, but perhaps no one is in a weirder situation than Oregon.

Former head coach Mario Cristobal left Eugene for Miami, and incoming head coach Dan Lanning is finishing out the 2021 season in his former capacity as Georgia’s defensive coordinator. That leaves interim head coach Bryan McClendon in charge as the Ducks prepare for the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma. According to McClendon, his team is zoned in and ready to play despite numerous possible distractions.

“I’ve been really, really, really pleased with the guys,” McClendon said on Monday. “I challenged those guys in pretty much the first meeting that I had with them that the programs that handle this the best is the programs that have the best chance to do well. I feel like the guys have been able to keep the main thing the main thing.”

In addition to the head coaching change, Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead will coach his final game with the team on Dec. 29. He was hired to be the next head coach at Akron. Incoming offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham will be on scene, as will new co-defensive coordinator Matt Powledge. In other words, there are a lot of moving pieces, but the game won’t stop for the coaching carousel.