Muschamp’s thoughts are with McClendon family. Saturday, his staff will be with them
South Carolina football had to move around its first week of spring football practice. Real life is just more important.
Instead of the planned practice on Saturday, Gamecocks coaches will be in Atlanta for the funeral of Susan Crim-McClendon, the mother of offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon and graduate assistant Bent McClendon. The team hit the field Friday, but both were not there.
“Bryan and Brent were both here Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and left last night,” Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said. “They have a viewing (Friday night) for his mother, and then a funeral Saturday. Thoughts and prayers are with the McClendon family.”
According to her obituary in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Susan Crim-McClendon was a career educator for 34 years and a elementary school principal since 2011. She was the daughter of the first black superintendent of the Atlanta Public School system, and her husband, Willie, was a star running back at Georgia in the 1970s and coached for the Bulldogs. She died in her sleep Feb. 20.
USC moved up practice so coaches coach make the trip. McClendon has been at South Carolina since Muschamp arrived, starting as wide receivers coach and ascending to offensive coordinator last season.
“Staff and I think some selected players will go there,” Muschamp said. “But we’ve got some bad weather out there too, so it’s a tough time. It’s a very difficult time for this family. I played at Georgia and coach McClendon, I call him coach, Willie McClendon, Bryan and Brent’s father was on the staff, and so I’ve known the family for a long time, so it’s tough.”
