With their daughters sleeping after watching Mulan, Kenny McClendon and wife Mickey Grace got back to work.
Grace was quizzing McClendon on different game scenarios to get him to make the call for the defense.
It was part of his prep ahead of calling the plays for Colorado State’s defense as part of an in-season switch at defensive coordinator.
"It’s a family affair now," McClendon said. "I'm lucky. 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 I appreciate more than anything, is that I’m not in this by myself whether personally or professionally."
CSU coach Jim Mora said this week that McClendon has been sleeping at the facility since he took over the defense from Tyson Summers. Mora said linebackers coach Jordan Frost-Dixon’s office has been turned into a de facto bedroom for McClendon.
The comment went viral on social media but also lacked the context of the family affair of McClendon’s job. Grace isn’t just there to help her husband. She’s also on CSU’s staff as an assistant defensive line coach, pass rush specialist and director of player development.
The debate on the merit of sleeping at the job rages on social media, but for McClendon this is a big opportunity to be a play-caller for the first time.
"I have never in my life as a coach see somebody do the things Kenny and his family are doing to help these players get better," Mora said.
Beyond long working hours, what is McClendon trying to do to fix CSU’s defense?
The Rams are arguably the worst defense in the nation, sitting last in FBS in total defense, points per game and rush defense.
The fix, McClendon and Mora say, continues to be in the details. It’s about making sure everyone is in the right place. It’s about reading the offense before the play to know how to adjust. It’s about trusting assignments and playing as a group, rather than individually. It's about tackling properly.
"We were just a hair off. You could see very clearly on film where the breakdown was," Mora said after the Rams allowed 66 points in an ugly loss to Texas State.
"We went back to the basics. When you see where we were in general, we just went all the way back to the basics and just teaching, making sure everyone knows exactly where they’re supposed to be," McClendon said.
"We play as fast as possible when we know where our help is and we know what we’re doing."
McClendon and staff have instituted big boards on the sideline to communicate formations and more to help clarify roles for the defense in-game. They’ve worked at length on technique and timing, which has been the cause of frequent missed tackles.
McClendon hopes for a loud group, which is one of his signs of confidence and trust.
"Communication, that’s where it starts. People have said it before, a loud defense is a good defense," McClendon said. "When they’re super confident and they know, they’re communicating and talking. The more they talk, that puts them in a position to be successful."
Mora’s background is as a defensive coach and he’s certainly paying close attention to the group but says he doesn’t want to overstep in taking control. He feels it’s important the defense hears a consistent voice from McClendon, so Mora is operating as a sounding board for him.
"Things aren’t going the way you want them to be, things aren’t the way you envisioned them to be, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to get that way," McClendon said. "We’re going to find a way to get this thing right."
Mora feels the same. As the Rams prepare to host San Diego State on Oct. 24, he’s spoken passionately in his belief in McClendon being able to stabilize the defense.
But he knows for a team that’s allowed 60 points per game over the last three, those words will ring hollow until its fixed when it counts.
"I want fewer yards and a lot fewer points. That's the bottom line here. That's what everyone wants to see," Mora said. "If I'm a fan, I just want to see a freaking result."
Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on X, Instagram and Threads @Kevin_Lytle and on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Kenny McClendon sleeping at CSU facility as he tries fixing defense