Former Head Football Coach Michael B. Clark was recognized as a Bridgewater College honorary alumnus shortly after his retirement in 2021. Honorary alumnus is a designation used to recognize special friends of BC and the Alumni Association. Clark is among just 12 honorary alumni in the history of the College.
“When you retire you get a lot of nice things said about you. Most of them you forget,” Clark said recently. But he noted that his honorary alumni recognition stood out among his other kudos. “This action was something I will always remember and treasure. It adds another layer to what was a great run the College and I shared.”
Clark came to Bridgewater in 1995 as the College’s 14th head football coach. He was hired by BC’s seventh president, Phillip C. Stone ’65, to rebuild a languishing football program. Clark initially agreed to a five-year stay to build up the football program; he stayed for 26 seasons. During his time at BC, Clark focused on recruiting strong players and pushing them to the next level. The team gradually improved, becoming a NCAA Division III runner-up in 2001 and winning six ODAC championships. Clark was named Virginia State Coach of the Year six times and, at the time of his retirement, was the longest-tenured active collegiate head coach in the state.
Although Clark retired in 2021, he returned the following year on a part-time basis to be an assistant coach for the Eagles golf team. He said that he’s enjoyed helping young people and seeing how another sport operates. When he’s not at BC, Clark is often in Northern Virginia visiting his three grandchildren and watching their sporting events.
Clark earned a degree in English literature from the University of Cincinnati in 1980. While there, he was a defensive back for the Bearcats, leading them to a top 20 national ranking in 1976. After graduation, Clark began his coaching career for Murray State University. He coached NCAA Division I football at his alma mater, Virginia Tech and Virginia Military Institute before coming to Bridgewater.
Read more about Coach Clark’s legacy in this story from the spring 2021 issue of Bridgewater magazine.
– Heather S. Cole
9/30/24
