Clyde Christensen joined the Carolina football program as a volunteer analyst in March of 2023. Christensen brings 43 years of coaching experience to UNC, including 27 years in the NFL, where he won two Super Bowls and coached quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Jameis Winston. He came to Chapel Hill following a four-year stint as the quarterbacks coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
During the 2022 season, Christensen helped Brady lead the league in attempts (733) and completions (490), while finishing third in passing yards (4,694), fourth in passing yards per game (276.1) and eighth in passing TDs (25).
Under Christensen’s guidance in 2021, Brady led the NFL in passing yards (5,316), passing touchdowns (43), pass completions (485) and pass attempts (719), joining Drew Brees (2008) and Peyton Manning (2013) as the only players to have led the league in all four categories in a single season since 1991. He also earned his NFL-record 15th Pro Bowl selection. His 5,316 passing yards marked a career high and the third-most in NFL history. In addition, Brady’s passing and yardage totals in 2021 each set new single-season franchise records. With Christensen’s assistance, Brady also led the NFL in 2021 in passing first downs (269), completions of 20+ yards (75) and completions of 25+ yards (42), while tying for first in both 300-yard passing games (nine) and 400-yard passing games (three).
In 2020, Christensen coached Brady through his first year with Tampa Bay, after spending 20 seasons with the New England Patriots. With Christensen’s assistance, Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl LV victory in his first season with the team, setting a franchise record with 40 passing touchdowns during the regular season. Brady’s 40 touchdown passes tied for the second-most in the NFL in 2020 and he also ranked second in completions (401), third in passing yards (4,633), sixth in passing touchdown percentage (6.6) and seventh in touchdown-to-interception ratio (3.33). He was the only quarterback in 2020 to finish in the top three in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. As a team, Tampa Bay ranked third in the NFL in points scored per game (30.8), fourth in passing yards per game (298.5) and seventh in total offense (384.1).
In his first year working with Christensen, Brady set an NFL record with his 40 touchdown passes – the most by a player in his first season with a team. Additionally, Brady’s 4,633 passing yards stand as the second-most by a player in his first season with a team. The tandem’s success carried over into the postseason during which Brady’s 10 touchdown passes, 1,061 passing yards and 81 completions all set franchise records for the most by a player in a single postseason.
Christensen mentored quarterback Jameis Winston in 2019, who guided an offense that led the league in passing at 302.8 yards per game and ranked third in total offense at 397.9 yards per contest. Under Christensen’s guidance, Winston set franchise records with 5,109 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and 380 completions. In 2019, Winston led the NFL in passing yards, ranked second in the league in passing touchdowns and finished tied for fifth with an 8.2 yards per attempt mark.
Following his first stint with Tampa Bay, Christensen spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, helping the team win Super Bowl XLI. He first worked as the wide receivers coach (2002-07) before adding assistant head coach (2008-09) to his title. During his time coaching the receivers, Christensen tutored Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison and perennial Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne, who rank first and second in nearly every receiving category in Colts history.
A native of Covina, Calif., Christensen played at Fresno City Junior College before finishing his collegiate career at North Carolina (1977-78).
