Charlie McClendon, 78; Football Coach at LSU

Charlie McClendon, who coached Louisiana State University’s football team to a school-record 137 victories, died Friday at his home here after a long fight with cancer. He was 78.

McClendon coached at LSU from 1962 to 1979, compiling a 137-59-7 record. The Tigers had only one losing season during his tenure, the longest for an LSU coach in the school’s 108 years of football.

Despite his success, McClendon was forced out because he was unable to do two things the fans wanted: win a national title and beat Alabama, then coached by Paul “Bear” Bryant. McClendon went 2-14 against Bryant’s Crimson Tide.

“That was a sore spot with a lot of people,” he said last year. “But there weren’t many people beating Bear in those days, especially with the kind of injuries we had.”

McClendon played for Bryant at Kentucky and was an assistant coach for him at Virginia.

McClendon was born in Arkansas, where his hometown of Lewisville didn’t have enough boys to field a football team and the school dropped the program. After four years in the Navy, McClendon attended a junior college on a basketball scholarship before trying out for football. He later received an offer to play for Bryant at Kentucky.

Known as “Charlie Mac,” McClendon coached 17 of LSU’s 40 first-team All Americans. He led the Tigers to 13 bowl games.

His team won the Southeastern Conference title in 1970, posting a 9-3 record and allowing only 574 yards rushing. McClendon was national coach of the year.

His 1969 team went 9-1 and scored almost 35 points a game while giving up just 384 yards rushing all season.

He was SEC coach of the year twice.

“You know a coach is great when all of his former players have so much respect for him,” current LSU Coach Nick Saban said Friday.

After McClendon left LSU, he became executive director of the Tangerine Bowl, the site of his last victory as LSU’s coach.

He was president of the American Football Coaches Assn. and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

“Charlie McClendon was the embodiment of what a football coach should be,” coaches association Executive Director Grant Teaff said Friday. “His dedication to his players and the coaches who worked under him was well known.”

McClendon is survived by his wife, Dorothy Faye; son, Scott; daughter, Dolores Kaye Alberty; and three grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

McClendon’s family asked that any donations be made to the Charles McClendon Scholarship Fund, 212 University Highlands Court, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.