INDIANAPOLIS — Kirby Smart officially filled a pair of openings on his Georgia football coaching staff this week.

One was to replace Bryan McClendon who jumped to the NFL after two seasons as wide receivers coach.

Todd Bowles, the Tampa Bay head coach who McClendon will work under with the Buccaneers, shed some light Tuesday here at the NFL combine about what led to the former Bulldog wide receiver going to the pro ranks.

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McClendon had coached only in college since moving up from graduate assistant under Mark Richt to become running backs coach from 2009-14 and then spending one season coaching wide receivers (with a game as interim head coach for a Gator Bowl win over Penn State).

He also coached at South Carolina, Oregon and briefly Miami, including time as offensive coordinator with the Gamecocks.

Bowles said that another coach who was in the SEC last season, former Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen, got the ball rolling to identify McClendon for the position.

“One of the first guys Liam brought up when he got the job was Bryan McClendon,” Bowles said. “He’s a heck of a wide receivers coach. He’s the guy all the pros go to in the offseason to help get ready. Didn’t know if we could get him out of Georgia. Kirby (Smart) does a great job with his staff down there. Just talking to him, bringing him in, very excited to have him.”

Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson, who hired former Auburn defensive line coach Jeremy Garett, said some college coaches he hired mentioned wanting to get out of the current college landscape where the transfer portal and NIL have changed the nature of the job, according to AL.com.

Bowles said of McClendon: “I don’t know what led him to leave Georgia. I know he was very loved there like he is here. Just happy to have him.”

Bowles comes from a father’s perspective on the Georgia coaching staff.

His son, Troy, is a sophomore inside linebacker for the Bulldogs.

Smart hired former Georgia offensive coordinator James Coley as wide receivers coach and Georgia Tech wide receivers coach Josh Crawford as running backs coach to replace new Georgia State coach Dell McGee.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Todd Bowles on hire of Georgia football WR coach Bryan McClendon