Written by: Jacob Willis
There are times when certain people come into your life, and you truly feel blessed by their presence. That certainly was the case with Shawn Clark. To meet Shawn was to be overwhelmed by a genuine, caring, kind, and optimistic soul. He changed lives wherever he went because his life had been changed. Shawn recalled during our first real conversation, “I learned how to be a man from my dad and Coach Moore”. He credited both for introducing him to Jesus. Shawn truly was a person who stood for faith, family, and football in that order.
Shawn’s faith was the most important part of his life. As head coach at Appalachian State, he continued to host fireside Bible studies on Wednesday nights. This was a study that Coach Moore started in the late 90s with just a few men, it grew to over 50 every Wednesday night. Coach Satterfield carried on that tradition and Coach Clark followed suit. He was consistently there for non-profits that needed everything from a signed ball to a celebrity guest appearance. He had such a big heart for the Boone community and people in general. He built relationships with young men not just based on their ability but based on their character development. He credited Coach Moore with teaching him to do more than is expected. To go the extra mile to let people know how important they are. That was Shawn in a nutshell. When High Country Caregivers held its first Coaches Golf Tournament, Shawn called me and volunteered to recruit Coaches and athletes to help raise money. He signed memorabilia and recruited colleagues as hard as he did QBs for his team.
When he invited our kids for practice, I envisioned them watching practice and leaving. They ended up on the field with the team, taking photos, touring the locker room, and meeting the coaches. He really didn’t have time to do all that, but he and Jonelle volunteered because they believed in a power bigger than themselves. He was available to help and minister to those less fortunate, as well as speaking to big time donors about faith, family, and football.
Shawn lived those principles and ideals out in real life. He loved attending his kid’s sporting events. He prioritized his time with his family above all else. He would speak about how proud he was of them, what an awesome mom and wife Jonelle is, and how he needed to do more. He was so proud of Giana and Braxton. He celebrated their accomplishments and the young leaders they were becoming. His eyes lit up when he talked about Jonelle, how lucky he was, and how God had put them together. He said, “I married my best friend and soulmate. She makes everyday worth it”. I suppose most of us will never understand the amount of time and commitment it takes to be a College Football Coach, especially in these times of NIL and transfer portal. Shawn did all he did for God, his family, and his team.
He truly was old school. His teams still hit in spring practice. Much of the Coaching acumen he displayed he credited to Coach Moore. He said, “We are Mountaineers and that means we are tough and physical”. Nevermore was this on display than when ASU beat Texas A&M in College Station. A&M paid their offensive line that year more than Appalachians entire football budget. Appalachian had a coach who believed in God, himself, and his players (listen to the postgame interview). After the game he lamented that his family wasn’t there. They labeled Appalachian State as a giant killer, referencing the victory in Ann Arbor, Michigan and College Station, Texas, as two of the biggest upsets in football history. For those of us that knew both Coaches we’d say it was because the Appalachian was led by two giants. He had the audacity to care about kids as individuals and not just what they could do on the field. Kids overachieve for people who overachieve for them. While other teams Shawn competed against had multi-million dollars available to pay players, Appalachian State’s biggest donor gave them fresh beef every month. Shawn #61 was used to overachieving. In his playing days he made all-American twice, all-conference three times, and was a part of the first 12-0 team in 1995.
As a Coach he won everywhere he went. At Appalachian State he compiled an overall record of 40-24 and 3-1 in bowl games. This all the while dealing with a Covid-19 season, the transfer portal, a 500-year flood, and NIL. Most universities would have been elated to have that record accompanied by a man who instilled in his players ethics and accountability. Appalachian, however, isn’t renowned for being rational or big picture about football. Family is something ASU coaches and players hold dear and is the reason for big time success. Unfortunately, the administration historically has little loyalty other than to the almighty dollar.
This nearsighted thinking saw Shawn move his family to University of Central Florida. Whereby all accounts he was beloved, just like at Appalachian State. His UCF team dedicated their victory over UNC last Saturday to him. Scott Frost, Head Coach at UCF, said about Clark, “Coach Clark was at the top of the list as far as his guys caring about him and loving him because he cared about them and loved them.”
The comments about his sense of humor over the past week reminded me of his ability to sound just like Coach Moore. He recounted stories of calling up fellow teammates on the phone pretending to be Coach Moore and in many cases never telling them it was him on the other end of the line. Shawn had this twinkle in his eyes while recounting memories of players he’d been able to play that prank on. When I asked him did Coach Moore ever hear him do the voice? He answered, “Never and smiled”.
Shawn will be remembered as a winner on and off the field. He brought out the best in everyone. He was a unifier, leader, husband, father, coach and friend. He made everyone around him feel special. He led by example and while we grieve along with the family, we know we will see him again. He is up there teaching a kid to zone block waiting for us to join the game. May we play it well down here, follow his example, and value every day!
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