5 things to know about Appalachian State’s new football coach Shawn Clark
Appalachian State University’s new head football coach turned his hiring announcement into a family reunion Friday.
Vowing to make current and former players and coaches feel “part of the Mountaineer family,” Shawn Clark said he would do everything possible to put a winning team on the field and help produce future leaders.
“If they leave here and all they know is football,” Clark, 44, said during a late-afternoon news conference, “then I’ve failed them.”
Clark, an all-America offensive lineman for the Mountaineers in the mid 1990s and offensive line coach for his alma mater the past four years, was hired to replace Eli Drinkwitz, who guided App State to a 12-1 record, a No. 20 national ranking, and a Sun Belt Conference championship.
Drinkwitz left earlier this week for the head coaching job at Missouri.
Clark, who was named interim head coach early in the week before landing the job on a full-time basis Friday after contract approval from the school’s board of trustees, stressed the family atmosphere he wants from the Appalachian State program.
Among those in the crowd Friday was Jerry Moore, who coached Clark in college and guided the Mountaineer program from 1989-2012. Also there were several of Clark’s college teammates.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from,” said Clark, a native of Charleston, W.Va. “If you have that ‘A’ on your chest, you’re part of the family.”
Here are five things to know about the Mountaineers’ new head coach:
He goes to work immediately
There won’t be any easing into the job. Clark will coach the Mountaineers next Saturday in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, against Conference USA runner-up UAB.
“We already have a game plan prepared,” he said, adding that all of the App State assistant coaches have agreed to stay on, at least through the bowl game.
And Clark said his offense will be wide-open in that game. “We will attack on offense and defense,” he said.
Rough road to the interview
Clark had a tough time getting to his interview this week with athletics director Doug Gillen and other university officials. He was on a recruiting trip in Columbia and got a call to drive to Boone.
While driving up Interstate 77, the left-front tire on his vehicle went flat.
“Our AAA membership had expired, so I decided to change the tire,” he said. “I couldn’t find the jack.”
He eventually found it under a seat and got to Boone in time.
Some things will change
While it’s too early to talk about changes in the X’s and O’s, a few things were obvious already Friday. Clark thanked Drinkwitz for retaining him as offensive line coach last year but said he won’t adopt the former coach’s apparel. “I won’t be wearing a visor,” he said.
One other change: Gone was the can of Diet Mountain Dew that accompanied Drinkwitz to media sessions. Clark drank from a bottle of water Friday.
He’s not going anywhere soon
While not getting into details, Clark made it clear that he will have to pay a significant buyout if he leaves Appalachian State before his five-year contract expires.
“I’m not going anywhere — especially next year,” he said, breaking into a laugh. “If you see that buyout (clause), you know I’m not going anywhere.”
His wife was a standout athlete
Clark’s wife, Jonelle, was a standout softball player at Eastern Kentucky and was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2008. She was Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year in her junior and senior seasons.
Shawn Clark’s voice choked up Friday as he recalled talking with his wife, 15 years ago, about one day returning to Boone. At the time he was an assistant at Eastern Kentucky.
“We laid in bed and talked about this,” he said, referring to coaching at his alma mater. “Whew!”
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle