Prepared for the Moment - Colorado State Athletics

This isn't how he pictured it taking place. Nobody would. Not a soul involved did either.

But it happened, just short of the first quarter ending a few weeks back, when Colorado State coach Jim Mora put Kenny McClendon in charge of calling the defense. In a blink, McClendon was put into the role he has long prepared himself to hold.

Coaches talk about the next-man-up approach all the time. The conversations are never about them, however.

"I think with anything, you feel like if you do the work, you feel like you're prepared, you're always ready for that next piece. I never chased it," McClendon said. "I'm always a person, whatever my role is, I'm going to do my role and whatever God has for me, that's what it's going to end up happening, whatever that looks like, and that's just how I am. I'm always prepared for the moment, but I'm also not chasing it and doing whatever. I'm focused on the role that I'm in, whatever that role may be."

This is what Mora had watched for years. An ambitious young man attentive to his role, but someone who was curious. He wanted to be an expert in his field while learning how it is connected with other parts of the defense. And how they worked in concert. And how a unit would understand the goals of the opposing offense and then deter any progress.

Piece by piece. Year by year. It wasn't always that way.

When McClendon first started as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan, his alma mater, he was head down, nose to the grindstone. He said he simply wanted to add value where he could. As doors to new rooms opened, he listened to what was being said. Then he asked questions. That process always led to other open doors. Eventually, a person starts working toward the next step.

"I think they start as you start getting into it. It's like when you start being around people and you start getting around mentors and understanding more and more," McClendon said. "Now it goes from, 'OK, I want to lead my own room to now it's a potential, OK, now I want to lead the whole side of the ball,' whether that's offense, defense, or special teams. Then it's like, 'OK, now I want to end up running my whole entire program.'

"I think each one has its own levels of challenges that you got to always work through, and there's things where as soon as you get into a situation, you think you know it, but you'll learn as soon as you get there. And the beauty of it is here, you've got an unbelievable staff and unbelievable support system around you, so they're helping through this whole thing and you're not in this by yourself, which I think is always awesome."

Mora is a defensive coach by trade. It's the side of the ball where he earned his reputation and how he started his assent to being a head coach. He's ran a defense and called a game. When it comes to McClendon, Mora said he's there to help, but it won't be his face front and center.

"I'm letting Kenny do it, but Kenny and I have worked together for a long time, so I'm just a sounding board for him. As a source of advice for him, an overseer to say, 'hey, don't miss this, don't miss that, make sure we're doing this.'" Mora said. "I think it's really, really important that the players hear Kenny's (voice), they hear a singular voice when it comes to the defense.

"You know, the entire structure of the defense, and then they hear their coach's voice. But I'm there for Kenny in every way, which I said I would be the day that I got here."

Mora has confidence in McClendon, and he knows he's not the only one. The reason he's convinced the switch will yield results is based on the respect McClendon has built, in large part due to the man himself.

McClendon won't change. The guy who was charge of the defensive line will be the same man running the entire defense.

"He's still the same coach. He coaches hard the same way on us," defensive tackle Jack Moran said. "He expects the same things, really. In our D-line room, we like to have some fun. He comes in sometimes, he likes to break bread, and we still have a good time with him, but when time comes down to get to work, he's great."

McClendon has been given the task of guiding a defense forward, one which currently allows more yards and more points than any other team in the country. It doesn't happen overnight. Consistency is the goal, but it's a process.

Moran says they're deep into it at practice, which is where he said it has to start. The right effort and doing the job right. Then doing it day after day. Then, especially, doing it on game day.

McClendon knows it is going to take effort on the part of everybody, and that's what he's getting. Especially from those closest to him.

Mora told a story about a late night at the office, with McClendon's wife, Mickey Grace, firing off formations for McClendon to call a defensive play. Over on the couch, their two daughters, Aria and McKenna, were fast asleep during the study session, tired out from the family watching 'Mulan' together.

"So it's a family affair now, and I think to talk about it, you talk about the professional support system, but also personal. I'm lucky," McClendon said. "My wife is sitting there right there, drawing, helping me draw every single card. She's sitting there going through every little thing to make sure we're supported. My daughters are sitting there, they're sleeping in here, they're doing whatever.

"That's the piece that I appreciate more than anything is that I'm not in this by myself, whether that's professionally or personally. I got a great support system. And Coach Mora, the rest of the defensive staff, the rest of the coaches, I have an unbelievable, even a better support system at home with my family. They're doing a great job supporting me in this role, for sure."

McClendon knows his Disney princesses. He has a T-shirt with all the Disney dads, Grace one with all the princesses.

If his daughter's aren't asking for 'Mulan,' they want 'The Princess and the Frog.' No matter what the movie, they are singing the songs. All of them.

"I've got two girls. As a girl dad, you better know them," McClendon said.

He also knows defense. Mora said folks will come to understand that about McClendon soon enough.

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