Clancy Pendergast Position: Defensive Coordinator Birthdate: 11/29/1967 Experience: 3rd Season at Cal Alma Mater (Year): Arizona (1990)

Clancy Pendergast returns for his second season as the defensive coordinator at Cal in 2011 after an outstanding debut in 2010. The 20-year NFL and collegiate coaching veteran is a candidate for the 2011 Frank Broyles Award given to the nation's top assistant coach. Pendergast took over as the Golden Bears' defensive coordinator in February of 2010 after six previous campaigns as an NFL defensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs (2009) and Arizona Cardinals (2004-08). He was the defensive coordinator in Arizona when the Cardinals captured the 2008 NFC title to earn a berth in Super Bowl XLIII. Only five current NFL defensive coordinators have been a defensive coordinator in the Super Bowl.

In his first season, Pendergast was a tremendous asset to Cal football.

Cal's 2010 defense led the Pac-10 and ranked in the top 25 nationally in per-game averages for sacks (2.83 spg, No. 13), total defense (319.08 ypg, No. 18) and pass defense (187.00 ypg, No. 21). Cal was also first in the Pac-10 in first downs allowed (217) and second in opponents' third-down conversion percentage (34.7%). The team's pass efficiency defense and scoring defense, which held opponents to 17 points or less in eight of 12 games, were both third in the Pac-10, as well as 31st and 40th nationally. Cal was significantly better in all the above categories compared to 2009 when the Bears were seventh in the Pac-10 and No. 72 nationally in total defense (378.85 ypg). Cal was fifth in the Pac-10 and 35th nationally in rushing defense in 2010.

Individually, players such as Cameron Jordan and Chris Conte thrived under Pendergast's aggressive system before being taken by the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears in the first and third rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft, respectively. Both players earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors for the first time in their collegiate careers, with Jordan adding honorable mention All-American honors from Pro Football Weekly. Jordan started all 12 games and recorded career highs of 62 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss (No. 4 Pac-10), to go with 5.5 sacks (No. 11 Pac-10). Conte had by far the biggest season of his collegiate career and ranked third on the team with a career-high 72 tackles in his first campaign as a full-time starter. Mike Mohamed also continued his consistent and strong play from previous seasons, leading the Bears in tackles for the second consecutive campaign with 95 stops and earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors. Mohamed was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.

The Bears' 2010 defensive unit was also spectacular at times, recording five first-half shutouts and holding its opponents to 10 or fewer total points on four occasions - the highest number in a single season since the "Bear Minimum" defense limited seven opponents to 10 or fewer points in 1968. Cal also held its opponents below 200 yards of total offense three times. In one of its most significant performances of the season, Cal held top-ranked Oregon nearly four times below its season average in a 15-13 defeat and Pendergast was named the National Coordinator of the Week by Rivals for the Bears' effort. The Ducks came into the game averaging 54.7 points per contest.

Cal scored four defensive touchdowns in 2010, with fumble returns for scores by Darian Hagan, Derrick Hill and Jordan, and an interception return from Mohamed. After two games, Cal had actually put up more points (12) than it had allowed (10), with a pair of the defensive touchdowns coming against Colorado on a 41-yard interception return by Mohamed and an 82-yard fumble return from Hagan. Cal either scored on a turnover or after forcing a turnover in eight of its 12 games. The team's total of 72 points scored after forcing turnovers included 31 against Colorado, seven against Nevada, Oregon, UC Davis, UCLA and Washington, and three at Arizona and vs. Arizona State.

"Clancy will continue to gain a better and better feel for the college game and how each week you have different offensive approaches by your opponents," head coach Jeff Tedford said. "He has done a great job of teaching a whole defense what we're trying to get done, keeping the terminology simple but still being very multiple. I think our guys have really gravitated towards his knowledge and leadership."

During his six-year stint as an NFL defensive coordinator, the signature of Pendergast's defenses was the ability to force turnovers, with his squads racking up a combined 176 total takeaways (92 interceptions, 84 fumble recoveries).

In his one season with Kansas City in 2009, a Chiefs' defense that was among the NFL's youngest (26.6 average years of age opening-day starting lineup, 25.3 average years of age opening-day roster) and least experienced (4.9 average years of experience opening-day starting lineup) ranked 12th in the NFL in turnovers with 19 of their 28 takeaways coming in the final eight games of the season. The defense also scored three touchdowns off turnovers.

Kansas City showed significant improvement in several areas under Pendergast. The Chiefs more than doubled their sack total from the previous season by downing the quarterback 22.0 times behind the line of scrimmage after picking up only 10.0 in 2008. Fourth-year player Tamba Hali led the way with a then career-high 8.5 sacks to earn a spot on the USA Today All-Joe team. The Chiefs also allowed seven fewer rushing touchdowns, increased their quarterback hurries from 40 to 53 and were much better on third downs, ranking third in the NFL in allowing conversions on third-down and 10 or more yards to go after being 26th in the category the previous season. The Chiefs moved up to 15th in third-down conversion percentage (38.1%) after being tied for 31st in 2008. In addition, Kansas City improved to tied for fifth in the league in allowing opponents to score in their initial possession after tying for 20th in 2008, as well as eighth in forcing three-and-outs (24.4%) after being 31st the previous season. Kansas City's cornerback duo of second-year players Brandon Flowers (5th-T, 19) and Brandon Carr (10th-T, 16) both ranked among the NFL's top 10 in passes defensed, and were among the youngest starting tandems in the league.

For the five-year period from 2004-08, the Arizona teams Pendergast coached ranked eighth in the NFL by forcing 148 turnovers (77 interceptions, 71 fumbles).

During Arizona's Super Bowl run following the 2008 regular season, the Cardinals led all NFL teams by forcing 13 turnovers in the playoffs. The performance of the Arizona defense played a key role in post-season victories over Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia as the Cardinals limited the three highly regarded offenses to an average of 20.7 points per game. During the 2008 regular season, Arizona led the NFL with 17 fumble recoveries and ranked tied for fifth in the league with 30 takeaways. Arizona was also third in the NFL with opponents facing an average of 8.16 yards to go on second down and sixth by permitting 4.97 yards per play on first down.

The 2007 edition of the Cardinals ranked ninth in the NFL in run defense, allowing only 97.9 yards per game. On November 11, 2007, Arizona set a modern-day NFL record by holding the Detroit Lions to -18 rushing yards. The 2007 team also set single-season franchise records with six interception returns for touchdowns and 551 interception return yards. The club's 18 total interceptions tied for 10th in the league.

In 2006, Pendergast's defense forced 33 turnovers (16 interceptions, 17 fumbles), the most by the Cardinals since 1998 and tied for fifth in the NFL. The 17 fumble recoveries ranked fourth in the league.

The Cardinals were eighth in the NFL in total defense (295.6 ypg) in 2005, as well as fourth in third-down efficiency (34.2%), seventh in first downs allowed (272) and tied for 10th in fumble recoveries (13).

In Pendergast's first season with Arizona in 2004, the Cardinals improved to 12th in the NFL in both total defense and scoring defense after being ranked 26th and 32nd in those two categories the year before Pendergast arrived. In addition, the team forced 30 turnovers to rank tied for 13th in the NFL, compiling seven more takeaways than the season before his arrival when the Cardinals were 24th in the league with 23 takeaways. The 2004 squad was also second in the NFL in red zone TD percentage (45.0%), fourth in third-down defense (31.6%) and tied for fifth in fumble recoveries (15).

During his tenure in Arizona, Pendergast also worked with the secondary and coached Arizona safety Adrian Wilson to a pair of Pro Bowls in 2006 and 2008. Defensive end Bertrand Berry (2004) and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett (2007) also earned their first Pro Bowl selections playing in Pendergast's defense.

Prior to Pendergast's arrival in Arizona, the Cardinals had been mired as one of the NFL's lowest-ranking defensive clubs. In the five seasons prior to Pendergast joining the team in 2004, Arizona had ranked in the top 10 of a major defensive statistical category on only one occasion when the Cardinals were 10th in passing yards allowed in 1999.

In the five seasons under Pendergast, Arizona was 20th or better in the final NFL rankings in points allowed, total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, passing yards allowed, yards allowed per play, opponents third-down percentage, sacks, interceptions and fumbles recovered a combined 37 times in 45 opportunities.

Pendergast spent the 2003 season as the linebackers coach with the Cleveland Browns.

Prior to his one campaign in Cleveland, Pendergast was a member of a Dallas Cowboys' coaching staff that won two NFC East titles (1996, '98) and made three NFC Playoff appearances (1996, '98, '99) during his seven-year tenure from 1996-2002. Pendergast spent his first four seasons in Dallas (1996-99) as a defensive assistant and quality control coach. He oversaw the club's nickel defense packages in 2000 before coaching the defensive backs in his final two campaigns (2001-02) with the Cowboys. Dallas ranked third in the NFL in pass defense in both 2000 (168.3 ypg) and 2001 (180.6 ypg). In 2002, Pendergast tutored safety Roy Williams, who was a consensus all-rookie selection and led Dallas with five interceptions.

Pendergast began his NFL coaching career in 1995 with one season as a defensive assistant/quality control coach for the Houston Oilers.

Prior to his 15 years in the NFL, Pendergast spent four seasons as an assistant coach at the collegiate level. He served as a graduate assistant with Mississippi State in 1991, before working on coaching staffs at USC as a defensive assistant in 1992 and Oklahoma as a graduate assistant and tight ends coach from 1993-94. All four of the teams he worked for qualified for bowl games.

Pendergast graduated from Arizona in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in Agriculture.

Prominent Pupils

• Bertrand Berry (Arizona) - Posted the lone Pro Bowl season of his 12-year NFL career under Pendergast in 2004; recording career highs of 49 tackles, 14.5 sacks and four passes defended.
• Brandon Carr (Kansas City) - Cornerback ranked tied for 10th in the NFL in passes defended with 16 and added 62 tackles as a second-year player in 2009.
• Karlos Dansby (Arizona) - Has been one of the NFL's most productive linebackers since entering the league as a member of the NFL's all-rookie team during Pendergast's first season with Arizona in 2004.
• Darnell Dockett (Arizona) - Defensive lineman came to Arizona the same season as Pendergast in 2004 and earned his first Pro Bowl selection by 2007 when he recorded career highs of 58 tackles and 9.0 sacks.
• Brandon Flowers (Kansas City) - Cornerback ranked fifth in the NFL in passes defended with 19 and added 65 tackles as a second-year player in 2009.
• Tambia Hali (Kansas City) - Defensive end recorded career highs of 65 tackles and 8.5 sacks during his lone season under Pendergast to earn a spot on the USA Today's All-Joe team.
• Cameron Jordan (California) - Earned first-team All-Pac-10 and honorable mention All-American honors for the first time in 2010, recording career highs of 62 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss (No. 4 Pac-10), to go along with 5.5 sacks (No. 11 Pac-10); projected to be a first-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.
• Adrian Wilson (Arizona) - First-team All-Pro safety in 2006 and second-team in 2008, while also selected for the Pro Bowl both seasons; set a single-season NFL record in 2005 for most sacks by a defensive back (8.0).

THE PENDERGAST FILE

Birthdate	November 29, 1967
Hometown	Glendale, AZ
High School	Tolleson HS
College	        Arizona '90
	        Bachelor's in Agriculture
Family	        Single

COACHING HISTORY

2009	        Kansas City Chiefs
	        Defensive Coordinator/Secondary
2004-08	        Arizona Cardinals
	        Defensive Coordinator
2003	        Cleveland Browns
	        Linebackers
1996-2002	Dallas Cowboys
	        Defensive Backs (2001-02)
	        Defensive Nickel Package (2000)
	        Defensive Assistant/Quality Control (1996-99)
1995	        Houston Oilers
	        Defensive Assistant/Quality Control
1993-94	        Oklahoma
	        Graduate Assistant/Tight Ends
1992	        USC
	        Defensive Assistant
1991	        Mississippi State
	        Graduate Assistant

Super Bowl (1)

Year            Bowl             Team
2008            Super Bowl XLII  Arizona

NFL Playoff Games (8)

Year            Team (Games)
2008            Arizona (4 Games)
1999            Dallas (1 Game)
1998            Dallas (1 Game)
1996            Dallas (2 Games)

Bowl Games (4)

Year            Bowl             School
1994            Copper           Oklahoma
1993            John Hancock     Oklahoma
1992            Freedom          USC
1991            Liberty          Mississippi State

LAST UPDATED: August 20, 2011