Clancy Pendergast

Clancy Pendergast
Pendergast at Cal spring practice in April 2010
Sport(s)	Football
Current position
Title	Defensive coordinator
Team	California
Conference	Pac-10
Biographical details
Born	November 29, 1967 (1967-11-29)
Place of birth	Phoenix, Arizona
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1995 1996–2002 2003 2004–2008 2009 2010–present	Houston Oilers Dallas Cowboys Cleveland Browns (Linebackers coach) Arizona Cardinals (Defensive coordinator) Kansas City Chiefs (Defensive coordinator, DB Coach) California Golden Bears (Defensive coordinator)

Clancy Pendergast (born November 29, 1967) is the current defensive coordinator for the University of California Golden Bears and the former defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is also the former defensive coordinator for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, a position he had held from the 2004 to 2008 seasons.

Early Coaching career

He was a graduate assistant or assistant coach at Mississippi State, University of Southern California, University of Oklahoma, and University of Alabama at Birmingham before joining the Houston Oilers in 1995.

After a year with the Oilers, he joined the Dallas Cowboys, where he spent seven seasons, first as defensive assistant/quality control/linebackers coach (1996–99), and later handing responsibilities in nickel defense packages (2000) and the secondary (2001–02). Pendergast helped develop first-round draft pick Roy Williams into a Pro Bowl safety. In 2003, he was linebackers coach with the Cleveland Browns.

Arizona Cardinals

While working in Cleveland, Pendergast impressed personnel man Jeremy Green to the point that when Green's father, Dennis Green, became the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Jeremy convinced him to interview Pendergast for the job. Green was so impressed that he hired Pendergast as the Cardinal's Defensive Coordinator.

After Dennis Green's firing, he was retained as defensive coordinator under new Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Clancy helped lead the Cardinals into Super Bowl XLIII, but was fired on Friday February 6, 2009, less than one week after Arizona lost to Pittsburgh 27-23 in the Super Bowl.

Kansas City Chiefs

When Cardinals fired Pendergast, he was immediately linked with a move to Kansas City Chiefs. Clancy Pendergast officially became the defensive coordinator for the Chiefs on March 13, 2009, where he reunited with Head Coach Todd Haley, who was offensive coordinator at Arizona during Pendergast's time there. On January 14, 2010, the Chiefs named former Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel their new defensive coordinator. According to NFL.com Pendergast was not retained for the 2010 season by the Chiefs in any coaching position. Pendergast was hired to become the Oakland Raiders defensive backs coach on February 6, 2010.

California Golden Bears

On February 19, 2010 Pendergast was hired as Defensive Coordinator for the California Golden Bears, succeeding Bob Gregory.

Personal life

Pendergast attended Tolleson High School, where his sister Bonnie Pendergast continues to teach math. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1990.

Pendergast was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) Fraternity during his years as an undergraduate at the University of Arizona.

External links

• California Golden Bears bio

Sporting positions
Preceded by Larry Marmie	Arizona Cardinals Defensive Coordinator 2004–2008	Succeeded by Billy Davis
Preceded by Gunther Cunningham	Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator 2009	Succeeded by Romeo Crennel
Preceded by David Gibbs	Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Backs Coach 2009	Succeeded by Emmitt Thomas
Preceded by Bob Gregory	California Golden Bears Defensive Coordinator 2010–present	Succeeded by Incumbent