Oregon interim coach Bryan McClendon noncommittal on future, focused on "these guys"

Once Oregon’s season officially comes to a close, Bryan McClendon will have a decision to make.

But for now, Oregon’s interim head says he is putting his future on the back burner and focusing on getting the Ducks ready for the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl.

McClendon met with reporters on Monday for what will be the final time until the bowl game. He was asked if he has made a decision on where he will coach next season and was noncommittal.

“I do look forward to being able to make those decisions,” McClendon said. “I just feel like it would be a hard decision to make right now while my focus is solely on (Oregon’s players) and making sure that these guys have a positive experience.

“I don’t wanna cheat them. I don’t wanna make a bad decision for my family… I feel like there will be a time to make that decision. Right now is not it.”

McClendon, 37, served as the Ducks’ receivers coach and pass game coordinator under Mario Cristobal for the past two seasons. Once Cristobal departed for Miami, McClendon was elevated to interim head coach, and Oregon’s players have rallied around him.

One of the top recruiters in the Pac-12 since he arrived in Eugene, McClendon is responsible for bringing Dont’e Thornton, Troy Franklin, and a host of other talented players to Oregon. But his name has been linked to other high-profile jobs.

Rumors circulated last week that Cristobal is aiming to add McClendon to his Miami staff — and a profile for McClendon reportedly appeared on the school’s athletic department website late last week, but was quickly removed.

On Monday, McClendon refuted all rumors linking him elsewhere and reiterated that he has not made a decision on where he would coach in 2022.

“The thing that’s frustrating, man, is that I haven’t even thought about it as much as some of the other people have,” McClendon said. “My focus has been on these guys. It’s not right for them if my focus is on other places.

“So I haven’t done it. To be quite honest with you, it’s not right for my family for me to try and make a family decision while my focus is on the guys right now. Anything that is out there right now, it did not come from me.”

Immediately after Cristobal’s departure, there was speculation that the Ducks could possibly elevate McClendon to full-time offensive coordinator next season in order to retain him.

But Oregon’s newly-hired head coach Dan Lanning, who is still working on Georgia’s staff until its postseason ends, has already hired his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Kenny Dillingham.

Also, 4-star receiver Tetairoa McMillan had been committed to Oregon since August and was primarily recruited by McClendon. But McMillan flipped to Arizona over the weekend, which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement that McClendon is expected to still be at Oregon next season.

McClendon was also asked about former Oregon receiver Mycah Pittman, who announced Sunday that he is transferring to Florida State. In a video Pittman posted last week, the sophomore receiver said part of the reason he chose to transfer away from Oregon is because of the lack of consistent targets he was getting in the Ducks’ run-heavy offense.

Pittman said the entire Oregon receivers room had moments of frustration at the lack of downfield passing this season.

“I think you would have to ask those guys a little bit more to see how accurate that is, to be honest with you,” McClendon said. “But I am happy for (Pittman). I was very happy to coach Mycah and wish him nothing but the best and a bunch of success over there in his journey.

“But I think you would have to ask those guys a little bit more to see how accurate that truly is.”