Bert Clark
{{Short description|American gridiron football player and coach (1930–2004)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Bert Clark
| image = Bert_Clark_WSU.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Clark from the 1967 Chinook
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|2|12}}
| birth_place = Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2004|12|13|1930|2|12}}
| death_place = Katy, Texas, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1949–1951
| player_team1 = Oklahoma
| player_years2 = 1952
| player_team2 = Dallas Texans
| player_years3 = 1953
| player_team3 = Calgary Stampeders
| player_positions = Linebacker, center
| coach_years1 = 1956
| coach_team1 = Arkansas (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1957–1963
| coach_team2 = Washington (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1964–1967
| coach_team3 = Washington State
| coach_years4 = 1968–1969
| coach_team4 = New Mexico (assistant)
| coach_years5 = 1970–?
| coach_team5 = Winnipeg Blue Bombers (assistant)
| overall_record = 15–24–1
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Robert B. Clark Jr. (February 12, 1930 – December 13, 2004){{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=1948582 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |title=Led 'Cardiac Kids' in 1965 |date=December 17, 2004 |access-date=October 7, 2014}} was an American gridiron football player and coach. He was the head football coach at Washington State University for four seasons, from 1964 to 1967.
Early life and playing career
Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, Clark graduated from high school in 1948 and played college football at the University of Oklahoma under coach Bud Wilkinson. He lettered three seasons, from 1949] to 1951, as the Sooners posted records of {{nowrap|11–0,}} {{nowrap|10–1, and 8–2.}} Clark was a two-time All-Big Eight Conference linebacker and helped the 1950 Sooners capture a national title.
After a brief stint with the Dallas Texas of the National Football League (NFL) in 1952 and a season with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1953, Clark served in the United States Army.
Assistant coach
Following his military service, he was an assistant coach for a season at the University of Arkansas in 1956 under former Sooner Jack Mitchell, and then joined the staff of first-year head coach Jim Owens at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1957. Owens and Clark were teammates at Oklahoma in their undefeated 1949 season.
Washington State
After seven seasons in Seattle with Owens at Washington, he was hired as head coach at Washington State in Pullman in January 1964;{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WLBYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6861,2968457 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington)|title=Bert Clark named Cougar grid coach |last=Johnson |first=Bob |date=January 14, 1964 |page=15}} his initial contract was a three-year deal for $16,500 per year.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xbRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0ugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6050,2169913 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|title=WSU now 'arranging' new Clark contract |date=December 7, 1965 |page=12}}
On the Palouse, he was near another former 1949 Sooner teammate, Dee Andros, who was in his third (and final) season as head coach of the Idaho Vandals, {{convert|8|mi|spell=in}} to the east. Clark's first WSU team lost both rivalry games, expectedly to Washington in the Apple Cup, but unexpectedly to Idaho {{nowrap|28–13}} in the Battle of the Palouse, the Vandals' first win the over the Cougars in a decade.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AOFXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6881%2C2942184 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |title='Thunder Ray' leads Idaho's charge |last=Missildine |first=Harry |date=October 25, 1964 |page=1, sports}}
His 1965 team was nicknamed "The Cardiac Kids" for their dramatic late-game comebacks against Iowa, Minnesota, Villanova, Indiana, and Oregon State. It was also the only team in school history to defeat three Big Ten teams (Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana). The Cougars finished at {{nowrap|7–3,}} and beat Oregon and Oregon State, but lost to both Idaho and Washington for a second consecutive year. It was the first time the Cougars had lost two straight to the Vandals in forty years, done before a record-breaking crowd of 22,600 at Rogers Field.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CrRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5732%2C957526 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|title=Charging Vandals defeat WSU 17-13 |last=Missildine |first=Harry |date=October 3, 1965 |page=1, sports}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OVdYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rvcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3844%2C745989 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |title=Palouse back to normal; Idaho conquers Cougars |last=Johnson |first=Bob |date=October 4, 1965 |page=17}}
Following the 1965 season, Clark signed a new three-year contract, at $19,700 per year. Expectations were high for 1966, but the Cougars were 3–7 and nearly lost to Idaho for a third straight year in a sloppy mudbath at Neale Stadium in Moscow. Two fourth-quarter WSU touchdowns, one on a fumble return and another on a long run from scrimmage after a Vandal fumble saved the day for the Cougars, 14–7.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WrJfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AzMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4122%2C3769782 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|agency=photos |title=Mud replaces turf in football's annual Battle of Palouse in Moscow |last=Woods |first=Roy |date=October 23, 1966 |page=14}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hmtYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1vcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6016%2C1928337 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington)|agency=photo |title=Kennedy en route to a TD |date=October 24, 1966 |page=18}} The Cougars were {{nowrap|1–3}} in conference, with a win over Oregon and losses to California, Oregon State, and Washington.
The Cougars were winless through eight games in 1967,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iGVYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1PcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7136%2C2978302 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington)|title=Palouse grid contest seen as "war of wits" |date=November 10, 1967 |page=13}} then thrashed Idaho 52–14 and squeaked by Washington {{nowrap|9–7}} in Seattle to finish at {{nowrap|2–8}} and {{nowrap|1–5}} in conference.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kzlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5972%2C4087730 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|last=Missildine |first=Harry |title=Pluck, luck, defense! Cougs 9-7 |date=November 26, 1967 |page=1, sports}} Clark was fired in late November, with a season remaining on his contract.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NqFfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BzIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3631%2C4983193 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|title=Bert Clark parts company with Cougars; search on for successor |date=November 29, 1967 |page=10}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ljlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7480%2C4807421 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|title=WSU begins search for new grid coach |date=November 29, 1967 |page=10}}
After Pullman
Clark coached at the University of New Mexico in 1968 as defensive coordinator to first-time head coach Rudy Feldman,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=omVYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3936,2049732 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington)|title=Clark gets aide's job |agency=UPI |date=February 9, 1968 |page=11}} and went to the CFL in 1970 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers under new head coach Jim Spavital.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CpNYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6267%2C1010658 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington)|agency=Associated Press |title=Clark given Winnipeg job |date=May 20, 1970 |page=42}} He later went into the investment business in Texas in Dallas and Galveston.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RmhWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6_IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3681%2C1560950 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|agency=Associated Press |title=Former WSU football coach Bert Clark dies |date=December 18, 2004 |page=C6}}
Clark died in Katy, Texas in December 2004 at the age of 74 and was buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Wichita Falls.
Head coaching record
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Washington State Cougars
| conf = Athletic Association of Western Universities
| startyear = 1964
| endyear = 1967
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1964
| name = Washington State
| overall = 3–6–1
| conference = 1–2–1
| confstanding = T–6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1965
| name = Washington State
| overall = 7–3
| conference = 2–1
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1966
| name = Washington State
| overall = 3–7
| conference = 1–3
| confstanding = T–6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1967
| name = Washington State
| overall = 2–8
| conference = 1–5
| confstanding = T–7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Washington State
| overall = 15–24–1
| confrecord = 5–11–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 15–24–1
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Washington State Cougars football coach navbox}}
{{1950 Oklahoma Sooners football navbox}}
{{1960 Washington Huskies football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Bert}}
Category:American football centers
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Players of Canadian football from Texas
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football coaches
Category:Calgary Stampeders players
Category:Dallas Texans (NFL) players
Category:New Mexico Lobos football coaches
Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players
Category:Washington Huskies football coaches
Category:Washington State Cougars football coaches
Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers coaches
Category:Players of American football from Wichita Falls, Texas