The Denver Broncos on Friday hired Clancy Barone as tight ends coach, it was announced.
Barone, who spent the past two NFL seasons in the same position with the San Diego Chargers, has five years of NFL experience, including his time with the Atlanta Falcons from 2004-06. In his each of his four seasons as a tight ends coach in the NFL, one of his players led his team in receptions. Barone's tight ends totaled four Pro Bowl berths and one All-Pro selection.
Barone, 45, mentored Chargers tight end Antonio Gates in his two seasons with the club as his star pupil caught 135 passes for 1,688 yards and tied for an NFL-high among tight ends with 17 touchdown receptions over that span.
Before his stint in San Diego, Barone was the tight ends coach for the Atlanta Falcons from 2005-06 and helped tight end Alge Crumpler earn a trip to the Pro Bowl in both seasons, including his All-Pro selection in 2006. He entered his coaching career in the NFL as the assistant offensive line coach for the Falcons in 2004.
Before his NFL coaching career, Barone spent 17 seasons coaching in the collegiate ranks primarily with the offensive line. During that span, 27 offensive linemen who played for him signed NFL contracts. He coached five Outland Award (awarded to the best collegiate interior lineman) semifinalists and three Rimington Award (awarded to the nation's best collegiate center) semifinalists.
Barone began his coaching career as the offensive line coach for American River College (Sacramento, Calif.) from 1987-90 before accepting the same position with his alma mater Sacramento State, where he coached from 1991-92. He was the assistant offensive line coach for Texas A&M during the 1993 season before moving on to Eastern Illinois to coach its offensive line from 1994-96.
He served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at the University of Wyoming from 1997-99 and held the same position with the University of Houston from 2000-02. With the Cougars, he was named Offensive Line Coach of the Year by the National Offensive Line Coaches Association (NOLCA) in 2002. Houston also ranked fifth in the nation in rushing that season and set 17 offensive school records.
In 2003, Barone was the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for Texas State University as the Bobcats ranked seventh in the nation in total offense and set 11 school offensive records.
Clarence Barone was born July 26, 1963, in San Andreas, Calif. He attended Red Bluff High School in Red Bluff, Calif., where he was a four-sport star. He went on to play offensive line at the University of Nevada and Sacramento State. Clancy and his wife, Rosie, have two daughters, Gianna and Isabella, and a son, Stefano.