Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Hall of Fame
Biography
Born in Lewisville, Ark. in 1923, Charles McClendon was an esteemed player and coach. He attended the University of Kentucky, where he played under legendary coach Bear Bryant. He picked up a love for coaching and shortly after, he joined the coaching ranks as an assistant at Vanderbilt University. After one season, he moved to Baton Rouge, La. to work as an assistant under Gaynell Tinsley at LSU. He worked there as an assistant for eight seasons and won a national championship in 1958. After the 1961 season, he was elevated to head coach.
He remained the LSU head coach until 1979. In his 18 seasons, he amassed a 137-59-7 record with 13 bowl appearances. He won seven of those bowl games, including a win in the first-ever Peach Bowl in 1968.
He retired after the 1979 season and still owns the longest tenure as an LSU coach in history. He is also still the program’s all-time leader in wins. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
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