John ClarkSacred Heart University announced the hiring of John Clark to serve as the Pioneers head wrestling coach. Bobby Valentine, Executive Director of Athletics, made the announcement Monday.
"I am excited to welcome John to the SHU community and I look forward to watching him continue the upward trajectory of our wrestling program," said Valentine. "John has coached at the highest levels, is a proven recruiter and I am confident that he will excel as a Pioneer."
Clark is the owner of John Clark All-American Wrestling Academy in Providence, R.I., where he has led his program to 10 state individual championships, in its second year of existence. The program won the Rhode Island State Championship as a team and finished third at the New England Championships, with five finalists.
I'm very honored and excited to be chosen as the next head wrestling coach at Sacred Heart University," said Clark. "I would like to thank Bobby Valentine, Mike Gaustelle, Brad Hurlbut, the student-athletes on the team and the rest of the search committee for entrusting the program to my guidance. I have a vision of where I want to take the team and I look forward to helping the student-athletes achieve their goals in classroom and on the mats."
Clark broke into the coaching ranks at Stanford University in 2005 as the second assistant with the Cardinal. He spent the following season at Lehigh University, before joining the Brown University wrestling program as head assistant coach in July 2007. He coached David Foxen to an EIWA Championship, the first wrestler since 1963 to win a conference title as an unseeded wrestler. Clark also served as the Bears recruiting coordinator.
A 2004 graduate of The Ohio State University, Clark had a noteworthy collegiate wrestling career of his own. He ranks fourth in Buckeye history with 134 wins, was a four-time NCAA qualifier, a two-time All-America selection and was a two-time Big Ten wrestling finalist.
Clark is actively involved in the community, in and out of wrestling, serving on the Rhode Island Special Olympics Game Management Committee since 2007. He is the Vice-Chairman of the Rhode Island Wrestling Association, as well as serving as Vice-Chairman of the Boston Chapter of the Wrestlers in Business Network.
CLARK AT A GLANCE
Owner, John Clark All-American Wrestling Academy, August 2015-present
Head Assistant Coach, Brown University, June 2007 - September 2013
Volunteer Coach, Lehigh University, August 2006 - June 2007
Second Assistant Coach, Stanford University, August 2005 - July 2006
Two-Time NCAA Division I All-America Honoree
Two-Time Big Ten Wrestling Finalist
Four-Time NCAA Qualifier
Fourth all-time in wins in Ohio State history (134)
Third all-time in takedowns in Ohio State history (486)
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