Member Biography

Born in Lewisville, Arkansas, in 1923, Charlie McClendon began his long association with college football at the University of Kentucky. At six-feet one-inch and 185 pounds, he played under Bear Bryant and alongside such notable stars as George Blanda, Bob Gain, Jerry Claiborne and Babe Parilli. After serving one year as Bryant's assistant, he joined Bill Edwards' staff at Vanderbilt. In 1953 he left Vandy to join Gaynell Tinsley at Louisiana State, where he remained when Paul Dietzel became head coach in 1955. Following Dietzel's departure in 1962, McClendon was named the Tiger head coach, a position he held for 18 years. Sixteen times he had a winning season, a mark that only a few college coaches have compiled. His record was 137-59-7 for a winning percentage of .692. He was voted the nation's coach of the year in 1970. After he left coaching, McClendon served as executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. He was born Oct. 17, 1923, in Lewisville, Arkansas. He died December 7, 2001, in Baton Rouge, LA.