Georgia has promoted assistant football coaches Bryan McClendon and Tracy Rocker and raises won’t be far behind.
Rocker, who coaches the defensive line, has been named associate head coach. And McClendon, who is the Bulldogs' running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, was promoted to assistant head coach. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the advancements were on the way earlier this month. Both promotions and the subsequent salary increases that will come with them are the result of competitive offers the coaches received from other programs.
Auburn, Rocker’s alma mater, tried to convince the former Lombardi and Outland award winner to come back and join the staff of new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp on The Plains. He joined the UGA staff just a year ago after working for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans the previous three years.
McClendon was offered the opportunity join Mike Bobo at Colorado State as an assistant head coach and continues to receive overtures from other SEC institutions. McClendon was named the national running backs coach of the year by 247Sports.com in 2014. He has coached three freshman All-Americans in Isaiah Crowell (2012), Todd Gurley (2013) and Nick Chubb (2014). McClendon added recruiting coordinator responsibilities in 2014 and will continue to lead the Bulldogs’ efforts in that area as well.
These promotions are just the latest of head coach Mark Richt’s concerted efforts to stabilize and strengthen his coaching staff in the wake of Bobo and offensive line coach Will Friend leaving for Colorado State. Richt extended the contract of and approved a $450,000 raise for defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt shortly after the new year. Pruitt will now make $1.3 million annually. Meanwhile, Richt hired Brian Schottenheimer as his offensive coordinator last week. Schottenheimer is expected to be paid more than $1 million after leaving the St. Louis Rams to direct Georgia’s offense. Those hires alone will increase the Bulldogs’ salary pool, which was $3.3 million, more than $1 million for 2015.
Richt has also been offered a contract extension by the UGA administration and is expected to receive a raise. The Bulldogs went 10-3 this past season.
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