Jan. 19, 2001

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Bobby Clark, whose five seasons as coach at Stanford produced the most successful era in the history of Cardinal men’s soccer, has been named men’s soccer coach at the University of Notre Dame.

When Clark came to Stanford in 1996, he inherited a team which had produced consecutive 5-12 seasons and had not posted a winning record in four years. In his five years at Stanford, Clark turned the program around, creating a consistent national powerhouse.

As director of soccer, Clark oversaw both the Cardinal men’s and women’s programs and specifically served as the head coach of the men’s program. In his five seasons at the helm of the Cardinal men, Clark compiled a 71-21-12 (.740) record, bringing his 14-year career mark to 153-63-25 (.686). He guided Stanford to the NCAA Tournament each of his last four seasons (1997-2000), and his 1998 squad was the national runnerup.

“I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to be part of one of the greatest traditions in college athletics,” says Clark.

“Notre Dame is a wonderful university in every way, and I hope to maintain the great work done by my immediate predecessors. Mike?Berticelli was a friend and colleague who was highly respected in the college soccer realm. I will try to build on the reputation that he has given Notre Dame soccer.

“My aim is to make Notre Dame the place for college soccer. I am very much aware of the enormity of the task, but I realize that competing in one of the country’s top conferences will be excellent preparation to help achieve this goal.”

“Bobby engineered a terrific turnaround during his time at Stanford — and his experience, quite obviously, is top drawer,” says Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White.

“He has had a great rapport with players on his teams, including inviting them to his home for pre-game meals.

“We’re excited about the prospect of Bobby taking our men’s soccer program into the ranks of the elite teams in the country.”

Clark comes to Notre Dame following a 2000 season that ranked as one of the most successful in Stanford history. The 18-3-1 Cardinal record matched the school standard for wins in a season (tying the mark set by his ’98 team). The final national rankings of fourth (Soccer America) and sixth (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) qualify as the second-highest ever at Stanford. His team also spent two weeks ranked number one in the country, marking the first time Stanford had ever been atop a collegiate poll in men’s soccer.

In 2000, the Cardinal broke nine school records and tied another, earned individual MVP honors at three in-season tournaments and saw 13 players win all-Pacific-10 honors. Included in that number was Ryan Nelsen, the Pacific-10 Player of the Year as well as the NSCAA/adidas Collegiate Men’s Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year. In NCAA play, Clark’s team defeated Cal State Fullerton and Illinois-Chicago before falling in the quarterfinals to SMU.

In his first season at Stanford in 1996, Clark led the Cardinal to a 10-4-4 record, its first winning season since 1992, and was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Mountain Division Coach of the Year. 1997 was a break-out year for the program as Stanford posted a 13-5-2 record, earned its first MPSF Mountain Division title, its first top-10 ranking and its first trip to the NCAA tournament in five years. Following the 1997 season, Clark was named the NSCAA Far West Region Coach of the Year and garnered MPSF Mountain Division Coach-of-the-Year honors for the second consecutive season.

1998 saw Clark direct the best season in the history of Stanford soccer. Not only did the Cardinal win its first NCAA tournament match, it advanced three steps further to the NCAA championship game (after wins against San Jose State, San Diego, Virginia and Maryland), where it fell to Indiana in the title game to finish with a number-two national ranking. The team won a school-record 18 matches, surpassing the mark of 16 wins recorded in 1978. Following the season, senior Jamie Clark became the first Cardinal to be named an NSCAA first-team All-American.

Clark led Stanford to its third consecutive NCAA appearance in 1999, the sixth visit to the tournament in school history. The Cardinal ended the season with a first-round NCAA loss to Santa Clara, yet, with a 12-4-3 overall record, it finished with double-digit victories for the fourth consecutive year.

Prior to arriving at Stanford, Clark compiled an impressive soccer background as both a coach and player. From 1994-1996, as head coach of the New Zealand National Team, he produced a 21-12-3 mark while working with the Senior, Olympic, Under-20 and Under-17 squads. For his efforts, Clark was awarded the 1995 Jim McCullen Trophy, given by the New Zealand national media to the person who did the most for New Zealand soccer.

Clark began his collegiate coaching career as the head men’s soccer coach at Dartmouth College from 1985-93. In nine seasons, Clark compiled a 82-42-13 record (.646) and led the Big Green to three Ivy League titles (1988, ’90 and ’92) and a pair of NCAA quarterfinal appearances. His ’90 team defeated Vermont and Columbia in NCAA action before falling to eventual NCAA runnerup Rutgers. His ’92 squad defeated St. John’s and Seton Hall before losing to eventual NCAA champion Virginia. Clark’s Dartmouth teams were ranked in the top 10 for four consecutive years, and he was twice named the NSCAA Region I Coach of the Year (1990, ’92). His ’90 team finished eighth in the final Intercollegiate Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.

Along with his international experience coaching in New Zealand, Clark also coached in Africa and in his native Scotland. In Zimbabwe, he was the director of coaching with the Bulawayo Highlanders in the Zimbabwean Super League for the 1983-84 season. In Scotland, Clark was the youth coach with Aberdeen F.C. in the Scottish Premier League. He was also one of the Scottish Football Association’s staff coaches.

Prior to coaching, Clark enjoyed a distinguished professional career in the Scottish League. From 1962-82, he made more than 800 first-team appearances, 696 of which were with Aberdeen F.C. While with the Aberdeen Dons from 1965-1982, Clark won the 1970 Scottish Cup, the 1976 League Cup and the 1980 Premier League Championship. Clark, who represented Scotland at every level of professional soccer, was involved in three of Scotland’s World Cup campaigns as a player in 1970, 1974 and 1978, and contributed to the Scottish squad that advanced to the finals of the 1978 World Cup Tournament in Argentina.

In two Scottish off-seasons, Clark played professionally for the Washington Ships of the United Soccer Association (1967), and the San Antonio Thunder of the North American Soccer League (1976).

Clark and his wife, Bette, have three children, Tommy, Jennifer and Jamie.

Tommy, a 1992 graduate of Dartmouth College, earned a bachelor’s degree in English. He was a regional All-American while playing with the Big Green — and played professional soccer in Zimbabwe and New Mexico. He and his wife, Susannah, are currently in their final year of Medical School at Dartmouth.

Jennifer, a 1994 Dartmouth graduate, served as an assistant for three years to former Stanford women’s soccer head coach Steve Swanson. She is currently the women’s soccer head coach at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. — and she recently married former Notre Dame assistant men’s tennis coach Mike Morgan (he’s now the head men’s tennis coach at Claremont McKenna).

The Clarks’ youngest son, Jamie, graduated from Stanford in 1999 after a pair of All-America seasons in soccer. He is currently playing professionally for the MLS San Jose Earthquakes.

The Bobby Clark File

Year by Year Collegiately With Bobby Clark