ORLANDO, FL – Tributes around college football continue to pour out in memory of Charleston native Shawn Clark, the UCF offensive line coach and former Appalachian State head coach, who died Sunday night after nearly two weeks in the hospital after a medical emergency.
Both WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez and Marshall head coach Tony Gibson reflected on their relationship with Clark during their weekly press conferences on Tuesday. Rodriguez said the two often communicated by text message to share in one another’s successes.
“We’d always text after a win or something, like ‘congrats.’ We always said the same thing, like, ‘It’s hard to win. It’s hard to win. It’s hard to win.’ I think he was the first person after we won the Conference USA championship last year. I think it might have been less than an hour after the game; Shawn texted me and said, ‘Coach, it’s hard to win. “Congrats,” he said.
Gibson recalled his personal friendship with Clark that bled over into their professional lives. Always proud of his West Virginia roots, he said Clark reflected well upon his home state and noted that the ties between the two went even deeper than that.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Clark family. Shawn was a great friend, a great West Virginian. I had a personal relationship with Shawn. He actually hired my daughter,” he said.
Clark became well-known throughout college football for his personality, love for the game, and willingness to show that exuberance on the field. Gibson said his passing will continue to have an impact beyond West Virginia.
“We lost a good one over the weekend, so just our thoughts and prayers are with the Clark family, and it’s a shame; way too young, and this one’s going to hurt for a while for a lot of people.”
Clark was 50 years old and is survived by his wife and two children.