Lycoming College Men's Football

Clark has done nothing but succeed. In four years as an offensive lineman on the football team under legendary Coach Frank Girardi, he won four MAC titles and helped the team advance to the 1990 NCAA Division III National Championship game. After graduating in 1993, he began his football coaching career and when it led him back to Williamsport in 1998, the success didnt stop. In two years as an offensive line coach for Girardi, he helped win two more MAC titles before moving on to become the offensive coordinator at Division I Davidson College. So when the college looked for a replacement for Girardi after his retirement in 2007, it was hard to find someone with a better resume than Clark, who had won six titles in as many years at Lycoming. Sure enough, in his first year as head coach in 2008, Clark led a Cinderalla-story resurgance in the Warriors, helping the team win its first MAC title in five years, the longest between titles since 1978, when Girardi won the schools first title. Now entering his ninth year as head coach, Clark has been a part of 111 wins, eight MAC titles, seven NCAA playoff teams and six NCAA playoff wins as a Warrior. During his time as head coach, Clark has tutored 80 all-conference selections, 18 Hampshire Honor Society members, 17 all-region selections, seven All-Americans, four Academic All-District selections, two Academic All-Americans, a Regional Player of the Year and led the team to seven wins over top-25 programs. In January 2012, he also was named the College's ninth director of athletics. Since coming on board, he has helped hire eight new head coaches. He was critical in driving initiatives that promoted all full-time coaches in the department to 12-month positions from 10-month positions. The department has added five new full-time positions (softball head coach, three assistant coaches and an additional athletic trainer) and greatly invested in part-time assistant coaches during his tenure.   The 2015 Warriors finished with a 4-6 overall record, but finished the season with two straight wins, including a 43-42 win over 19th-ranked Delaware Valley in week nine that knocked the Aggies out of the driver's seat for a MAC title. During the season, he coached five all-conference selections and oversaw an offense that finished  fourth in program history with 3,806 yards of total offense. In 2014, the Warriors started the season with four straight wins to reach as high as 20th in the national polls en route to an 8-2 season and a third-place finish in the MAC with a 6-2 mark, with both defeats coming at the hands of nationally-ranked opponents. The team's offense racked up a school record 415.0 yards of total offense per game, as it was paced by a 1,000-yard rusher in Craig Needhammer, and a 1,000-yard receiver in Ryan Umpleby. The team racked in a host of postseason accolades, including 13 All-MAC selections, four Academic All-MAC picks, five selections to the Hampshire Honor Society, two all-region picks and an Academic All-American (Needhammer). The 2013 Warriors were able to sustain a rollercoaster ride throughout the season and still capture a share of the program's 15th MAC title, posting a 7-3 record and a 7-2 mark in league play. The team started the year with a 4-1 mark, which included wins over 24th-ranked Widener and 16th-ranked Delaware Valley. After a loss to Co-MAC champion Lebanon Valley, the Warriors finished the year with three wins in four games, including a 36-20 win over Stevenson to clinch a share of the title in the season's final weekend. Accolades rolled in for the team after the year, as 13 players were named all-conference, three all-region and Tanner Troutman, who led the nation in interceptions, was named the D3football.com East Region Player of the Year. Both Troutman and defensive tackle Dwight Hentz each earned All-American honors as well. In 2012, the Warriors posted their second straight 8-2 season, finishing 8-1 in the MAC to finish alone in second place in the confence. Once again, the Warriors featured one of the best defenses in the conference and the nation, finishing fourth in the country in scoring defense (12.4) and 14th in rushing defense (87.8). Along with an upset of the fourth-nationally ranked team in his tenure, a 24-14 win at No. 22 Delaware Valley, Clark mentored a record 16 All-MAC selections, including MAC Defensive Player of the Year Kabongo Bukasa. Bukasa, who was also one of five players to earn all-region honors, became the fifth All-American and Parker Showers became the second player to earn Capital One Academic All-District honors in Clark's tenure. In 2011, Clark led the team to an 8-2 mark and a 5-2 mark to finish in a tie for second in the MAC. Along with defeating No. 22 Rowan, 8-6, in the opener, the team developed into one of the best defensive units in the nation, finishing second in pass efficiency defense (77.59), third in total defense (214.40), third in turnover margin (+1.80), seventh in scoring defense (12.60), seventh in pass defense (120.21) and eighth in rushing defense (84.40), while leading the Middle Atlantic Conference in all six categories. Individually, senior Anthony Marascio was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned consensus All-American honors while senior Ray Bierbach and sophomore Zack Czap were also placed on All-American lists from various outlets. The 2010 Warriors posted a two-win turnaround as they finished 6-4 and notched a 4-3 conference record to take fourth in the league. Along the way, the Warriors upset 13th-ranked Ithaca, 26-24, and won its first three conference games. Four players earned Team of the Week honors and an interception return for a touchdown by Bierbach was named the website's Play of the Week. Senior Josh Kleinfelter broke the school's career rushing mark and kicker T.J. Chiarolanza was named a First Team Capital One Academic All-American. Eight players earned all-conference accolades, two were named all-region and Bierbach was named an All-American by . In 2009, while playing with a starting offensive line that featured two sophomores and two freshmen, the team provided several memorable moments, including a 37-23 dismissal of rival Susquehanna, which went on to win the Liberty League title. The team also featured six All-MAC performers. In 2008, Clark helped turn around a Warriors program that had won just seven games in the two years prior by helping the team win six of its first eight games. By the final week of the regular-season, the Warriors held their destiny in their own hands, and the team dismissed Lebanon Valley, 23-15, to claim a piece of the MAC title with Delaware Valley and Albright. Lycoming claimed the tiebreaker due to wins over both teams to earn a bid to the NCAA playoffs, helping Clark secure  MAC Coach of the Year and D3football.com East Region Coach of the Year honors. In the process, he coached eight All-MAC performers and two All-East Region players. Before Clarks third go-round at Lycoming, he spent eight seasons as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Davidson. During his years with the Wildcats, Clark helped the team post a 43-36 (.544) record and the only undefeated season in school history. Along the way, the Wildcats had some of the most prolific offensive numbers in school history, with Clark mentoring the top two passing quarterbacks, three receivers and running back during his time. In his last two years, Clarks offense hit its stride, with the 2006 team scoring 29.5 points per game, which was 15th in the Championship Bowl Subdivision. In 2007, the offense average 414.3 yards per game, setting a school record. He also helped the 2000 team finish 10-0 during his first year with the Wildcats and helped the team transition into the Pioneer Football League, helping the 2002 team finish 7-3 overall and average 32 points per game, which was 14th in the nation. In 1998 and 1999, Clark served as an assistant under Girardi, helping the Warriors finish off a run of four straight MAC titles before leaving for Davidson. Clark spent the 1996 and 1997 seasons as an assistant at Princeton, serving as the tight ends coach in 1996 and the running backs coach in 1997. The Tigers posted a 6-4 record during his final year, including a 9-0 win over Ivy League-rival Yale at Giants Stadium. Clark began his coaching career in 1994 when he served for two years as a graduate assistant tight ends coach at Rowan University. In two years with the Profs, Clark helped the team post a 16-6-1 record and take a trip to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in 1995. At Lycoming, Clark spent four years as an offensive lineman during one of the most prolific periods in school history. From 1989-92, the Warriors posted a 40-5-1 (.880) record and a 30-1-1 (.953) record against MAC teams. Clark earned his Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Lycoming in 1993. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Rowan in 1996. Clark and his wife, Danielle, have three children, Allison, Brendan and Emily. They reside in Montoursville. Clark Year-By-Year at Lycoming Year W L T Pct. Note As a Student-Athlete 1989 10 2 0 .833 NCAA Second Round 1990 12 1 0 .923 NCAA runners-up 1991 10 1 0 .909 NCAA Second Round 1992 8 1 1 .850 MAC title Total 40 5 1 .880 As an Assistant Coach 1998 10 1 0 .909 NCAA Second Round 1999 9 1 0 .900 MAC title Total 19 2 0 .905 As a Head Coach 2008 7 4 0 .636 MAC title, eight All-MAC selections 2009 4 6 0 .400 Six All-MAC selections 2010 6 4 0 .600 One All-American, eight All-MAC selections 2011        8 2    0 .800 Coached three All-Americans, Warriors finish second in MAC 2012 8 2 0 .800 Coached a record 16 All-MAC selections 2013 7 3 0 .700 MAC title, 13 All-MAC selections, two wins over nationally-ranked opponents 2014 8 2 0 .800 Coached Craig Needhammer to Academic All-American honors 2015 4 6 0 .400 Led team to 43-42 upset win over No. 19 Delaware Valley Total 52 29 0 .642