Meade Clendaniel is in his fourth season in Easton where he coaches the safeties and the team's specialists.
The safety positions were occupied by Saiku White ‘25 and Neriyan Brown ‘25, both of whom were reliable pieces in the Leopards’ defense. White earned a spot on the All-Patriot League First-Team after a season that saw him finish with a team-leading 87 tackles and three interceptions. Brown racked up 41 tackles and managed an interception and a sack.
The 2023 Leopards led the Patriot League in scoring defense, rushing defense and red-zone defense. The play of the defensive backfield was integral to Lafayette winning a conference crown for the first time in a decade. Clendaniel mentored rising senior and team captain White, who finished second on the team in tackles (77) and grabbed a team-best four interceptions. White captured All-Patriot League First-Team status and Associated Press Third-Team All-America honors.
In 2024, Clendaniel welcomed White back into the fold in a leadership role, alongside Brown who made a career-high 44 tackles in 2023.
Clendaniel coached DaRon Gilbert to All-Patriot League First-Team honors in 2022. Gilbert made 54 tackles (35 solo) while grabbing an interception and defending four passes in his senior season when he started every game. The Leopard defensive unit finished second in the Patriot League in team defense (21.7 ppg) while leading the conference in rushing defense (111.0 ypg).
Clendaniel previously coached three seasons on John Troxell’s staff at Franklin and Marshall and the last two as the program’s defensive coordinator. Prior to F&M, Clendaniel coached for six seasons at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio where he was the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. That followed a 13-year stint at Davidson.
At Davidson, Clendaniel helped guide three players to I-AA Mid-Major All-America first-team status and coached a two-time Academic All-American. From 2002-05, he mentored four consecutive Pioneer League South Defensive Player of the Year honorees. In his first season there in 2000 as the defensive coordinator, Clendaniel helped guide the team to its first undefeated (10-0) season in the program’s history.
His first Division I coaching experience came from 1998-00 at Princeton where he coached the safeties, outside linebackers and special teams while also serving as head coach of the junior varsity squad.
Clendaniel’s first coaching foray came at his alma mater West Chester University from 1995-97 when he was an assistant coach working with the secondary, special teams, running backs and recruiting efforts. Clendaniel played fullback from 1992-95 at West Chester, helping capture PSAC East Division titles in 1992 and 1994 and finishing with a degree in biology with a focus in ecology.
Updated 2/25
