Prior to joining the students and colleagues at Ole Miss, he served for ten years as the vice chancellor for student affairs at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). Before coming to IPFW, he was vice president for student development at Dickinson State University in Dickinson, North Dakota, and served students in a variety of roles at the University of Arizona and Northwestern University. During his service at Northwestern University, McClellan held a variety of professional positions which included responsibility for graduate and professional housing, food service, and campus commons. Throughout his career he has had significant responsibility for the development and management of budgets, including auxiliary and capital budgets.