UTICA, NY- Utica College Head Football Coach Blaise Faggiano recently announced the hiring of Jamey McClendon as the team's new Defensive Coordinator. McClendon will assist Faggiano with all facets of the program including organizing and planning of all practices and game strategies, training and health education of student-athletes, monitoring academic progress of student athletes and recruiting.
 
McClendon comes to Utica after a two-year stint at the University of Massachusetts where he served as a defensive analyst and defensive ends coach for the Minutemen. Prior to that, McClendon spent four seasons working at USF from 2016-19, serving as a coach with the defensive backs, defensive ends, and linebackers.  While at USF, McClendon gained a wealth of postseason experience as the Bulls made three consecutive bowl games between 2016-18, including back-to-back victories in the Birmingham Bowl (2016, '17). The team posted winning records all four years and went 32-18 overall between 2016-19.
 
McClendon also had stops at Coastal Carolina and his alma mater, Salisbury University.  While coaching at Salisbury, McClendon helped lead the Sea Gulls to the NCAA playoffs in 2012 and an ECAC South Atlantic Bowl victory in 2013.
 
A four-year member of the Sea Gull football team, McClendon was an All-ECAC and All-Empire 8 linebacker.  He helped lead Salisbury to a 32-12 record during his career as well as an ECAC Southwest Bowl Championship, and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010.