Shaw University Promotes Clark As Head Football Coach
September 3, 2003
(Raleigh, NC)—-- Interim head football
coach, Deondri Clark, has been named the head football coach
of Shaw University, effective immediately.
Shaw Photo
Deondri Clark
Shaw University President, Dr. Clarence G. Newsome, expressed
his confidence in the Bears’ new head coach. “Coach
Clark has been entrusted with a very important leadership position.
He is molding young men to compete effectively on the field
and in the classroom. We are looking to Coach Clark to take
the University’s football program to new heights. He
has worked successfully with the team during the summer, as
well as during its first official CIAA game against Livingstone.
I feel confident that he will restore the roar that has been
missing on this campus for more than 20 years."
Clark was named interim head coach on July 17th. Last year,
he served as the Bears' defensive coordinator. Prior to coming
to Shaw, Clark was the defensive line coach at Benedict College
(2001-02). He was also a graduate assistant coach at Michigan
State University (2000-01) and Central Michigan University
(1999-2000). He holds a Master's Degree in Sports Administration
from Central Michigan.
A native of Winter Garden, Fla. and a 1993 graduate of Florida
State University, Clark was a standout defensive lineman for
the Seminoles and legendary Coach Bobby Bowden. He played on
four Florida State teams that won bowl games. His record as
a Seminole was 42-7 and Florida State never finished less than
#4 in the AP rankings. He was also a member of the first ACC
football championship team at Florida State.
Shaw participated in the CIAA for the first time since 1978
this past Saturday, pulling out a 44-34 victory over Livingstone
College. Last season, the Bears competed as a club team, finishing
the season with a 7-3 record.
Clark is married to the former Dawn Herd of Indianapolis,
IN, and they have a son, Deondri II.
