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Will Muschamp looking for offensive coordinator that fits QB Jake Bentley best
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The South Carolina Gamecocks recently fired offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, and have yet to hire his replacement.
That seems unlikely to happen before the team’s Outback Bowl matchup against Michigan on New Year’s Day, so Bryan McClendon will serve as the interim OC.
Star QB Jake Bentley will be the key to the Gamecocks’ offense for the next two years, and Bentley told The State that coach Will Muschamp said the next OC will have to be a great fit with the talented signal caller:
“When I talked to coach (Will) Muschamp after the whole situation, I was just like, ‘What are you thinking, Coach?’ He said, ‘I want to find a coordinator who fits you best. I want you to be a better quarterback. I want a guy who comes in and makes you the best quarterback you can be.’ That’s what he told me. I believe in him 100 percent that he’s going to do that.”
Bentley’s father is currently on South Carolina’s staff, so he said he could envision a scenario in which McClendon takes over as the full-time OC and his dad becomes the QB coach:
“I fully believe that coach McClendon can be that guy, with my dad being quarterback coach, but if there’s somebody else, they can be great coaches, too,” Jake Bentley said. “Whoever coach Muschamp hires to be the OC, I’m ready to go.”
McClendon will get his chance to audition for the full-time job on New Year’s Day against Michigan. Check out the action at 12 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN2.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
