Steve Clark
Steve Clark
Title: Head Coach
Phone: 302-736-2557
Email: Steven.Clark@wesley.edu
Year: 23rd
College: Manchester (England) '82
Major: Management Science

Steve Clark completed his 22nd season on the Wesley College sidelines in 2011 and has led the team to 225 victories during that time.

Clark has coached 19 of his 22 teams to at least a .500 record, seven ECAC Tournament appearances and an ECAC Championship in 2004.  He also coached G.R. Cannon, who went on to play in Major League Soccer. Clark's squads have also produced 55 all-conference selections, a conference player of the year and a conference rookie of the year.

This past season in 2011, Clark helped the Wolverines to its sixth ECAC Tournament bid in the last nine years while going 8-7-5 overall.  The year included a streak of seven straight games without a loss as the Navy & White went 3-0-4 during the stretch and three All-CAC performers.

His 2009 team overcame injuries and a roster that included 22 freshmen and sophomores to earn a bid to the ECAC South Championships.  Despite holding the seven seed entering the tournament, Wesley pulled off a pair of wins to advance to the championship game.

In 2008, he guided a team without any senior and just a pair of juniors to 11 wins and a trip to the CAC Championship Game after advancing past a previously unbeaten and untied York (Pa.) team that was ranked No. 2 in the nation on penalty kicks in the conference semifinals. The Wolverines, who posted a 10-match unbeaten streak during the season, also qualified for the ECAC South Tournament. Three players, two sophomores and one freshman, were named to the All-CAC team after the season and Clark was honored with the CAC Coach of the Year Award. 

The 2007 edition of the men's soccer team finished with an overall record of 7-11-1, but posted an impressive 5-3 mark in its first season in the competitive Capital Athletic Conference. The squad also advanced to the semifinals of the CAC tournament in dramatic fashion, taking a shootout from St. Mary's (Md.), 5-4, after the two teams played to a 1-1 tie through two overtimes.

The 2006 team tied the school record with 14 wins and was the Wolverines fifth straight season with 10-plus wins. That squad also made the program's third ECAC tournament appearance in four years. In 2004, Wesley played in the PAC Championship game, while the establishing the school record with 14 victories. The 2004 season also brought Wesley the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Southern Championship. This was Wesley's fourth post-season appearance in the ECAC's.

Born in London, England, it was August 1990 when Steve Clark arrived to take over a Wesley soccer team that had won only eight games in four years. Arriving with just a backpack, one suitcase and a passion for soccer he gave the team organization and hope. Despite a 6-0 loss in the first match the team improved to earn a 9-9-1 record. "I will always remember that first match, we had one shot from 40 yards and that was as close to scoring as we came," said Coach Clark, "then at the other end our keeper was sensational and his reward was conceding six goals and a broken nose with five minutes remaining." Fortunately everyone moved forward. Coach Clark was named ESAC Coach of the Year in what was to be the ESAC conferences last year.

The following two years saw a tremendous improvement as the team recorded 13-4-1 and 12-5-1 records. In 1993 and 1994 the Wolverines again had winning seasons, but with a tougher schedule, and the prize was consecutive invitations to the ECAC Championships. Since then the Wolverines have consistently made appearances in the regional top ten. The team has been ranked in the top ten nationally for scoring. They have maintained a tough schedule and are presently members of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (1998) are looking to gain the NCAA automatic bid that the PAC Champion has earned. There have been several memorable victories including a 2-1 victory over the University of Delaware in Newark, a 2-1 overtime win in the dark over Salisbury and a 3-2 overtime victory over then nationally ranked No. 13 Stockton State.

For Clark there are other rewards gained from an association with Wesley Soccer "we have provided many with the opportunity to tour England and for those who have that chance to experience our ("British") culture, see the sights, EPL matches and sample the cuisine, the tours have been regarded as a great success. Many of the senior players have since moved on to coaching and are adding their own personality and skills to the experience gained at Wesley to further promote the sport. It is the friendships created as part of Wesley Soccer that for me is great to be part of. Finally it is rewarding to see the players through their development, through graduation and then to socialize with them as Alumni. "

 

Coach Clark by the Numbers

1 Player went on to MLS
1 ECAC Championship
1 Conference Player of the Year
1 Conference Rookie of the Year
2 Conference Coach of the Year Awards
3 Former Players Became College Head Coaches
7 ECAC Championship Appearances
9 All-Region Selections
14 School Record for Wins (twice)
19 Seasons of .500 or Better in 20 years
55 All-Conference Selections
225 Career Victories at Wesley

Recently the team has produced three regional All-Americans. In the summer of 2004, one of his former players, GR Cannon, made his professional debut for DC United on national television. Several former players are now coaching and three have been head college coaches, perhaps inspired by Coach Clark. The coach is a much sought after clinician and has spent time these past summers at 2001 National Champions UNC-Chapel Hill as well as at other soccer camps and clinics. A former Arsenal (London, UK) boy, he has worked with ODP and club teams since coming to America.

As the Director of Athletics for six years in the mid and late nineties, Coach Clark was instrumental in the birth of women's soccer at Wesley, he oversaw the positive development of all women's programs including a nationally ranked field hockey team, that just five years prior had struggled with a winless season, and the addition of women's lacrosse, soccer and cross country. The recruitment of student-athletes and the improved visibility of Wesley Athletics was tremendous during his time as AD. Whether it be the largest program, the nationally ranked football squad or the smallest squad - the golf team who produced a national champion Spring 2002 and finished runner -up at the 2002 NCAA National Championship, Wesley's teams are very competitive. Coach Clark led the college into the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and was a founding member of the team of Athletic Directors and coaches that formed the Atlantic Central Football Conference.

In 1998-99, the College's first year of competition in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference, the Wolverines men's athletic teams captured the President's Cup, as four teams won conference championships. The women's athletic teams finished third of twelve colleges in the PAC. During the nineties as coach and as Athletic Director he served on NCAA & ECAC committees and the Administrative Council at Wesley.

After Wesley signed a partnership with Chester College in England, Coach and Wesley Soccer have already formed an exciting relationship through the Wesley Soccer tours. The women's team is expected to tour in early 2004 and the men's team will be in England late summer 2004 and the teams are going again in 2010. He has taught as a member of the Education department and presently serves on several committees including the College Leadership Council.

The native of London, England, Clark holds an English Football Association Coaching License. He graduated from Manchester University, England in 1982 with an honors degree in Management Science. He received his Master's in Education in 1990 from Frostburg State University, Maryland, where he also served as an assistant soccer coach.

Clark lives with his wife Lisa and two beautiful daughters Gabrielle and Devon in Grasonville, Maryland.

 

Year

Overall

Pct.

Conference

Pct.

Notes

1990 9-9-1 .500 --    
1991 13-4-1 .750 --    
1992 12-5-1 .694 --    
1993 12-6-1 .658 --   ECAC Tournament
1994 10-7-2 .579 --   ECAC Tournament
1995 9-9 .500 --    
1996 8-11 .421 --    
1997 10-9-1 .525 --    
1998* 10-8-1 .553 5-3 .625  
1999 9-9 .500 5-3 .625 PAC Tournament
2000 7-9-1 .441 5-3 .625  
2001 9-7-1 .559 4-4 .500  
2002 12-7 .632 4-4 .500  
2003 12-5-4 .667 5-1-2 .750 PAC Tournament; ECAC Tournament
2004 14-7-2 .652 6-2 .750 PAC Runner Up; ECAC Southern Champions
2005 11-9 .550 7-2 .778 PAC Tournament
2006 14-5-2 .714 6-2-1 .722 PAC Semifinals; ECAC Tournament
2007^ 7-11-1 .395 5-3 .625 CAC Semifinals
2008 11-8-3 .568 4-3-1 .562 CAC Runner Up; ECAC Tournament; CAC Coach of the Year
2009 12-10 .545 4-4 .500 CAC Tournament; ECAC South Runner Up
2010 6-11-1 .361 2-6 .250  
2011 8-7-5 .525 2-2-4 .500 CAC Tournament; ECAC Quarterfinals
TOTAL 225-173-28 .561 64-42-8 .596  

 *First year in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) play
^First year in Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) play

Chris Clifford
Chris Clifford
Title: Assistant Coach
Phone: 302-736-2409
Email: Chris.Clifford@wesley.edu
Year: Third
College: Baldwin-Wallace '09
Major: Sports Mgt./Business Admin.

Chris Clifford joined the Wesley College coaching staff in 2009 after a successful run as a high school coach at his alma mater Rocky River High School in Ohio.

Chris is currently in his fourth year on staff with Wesley College. His first two years, he worked exclusively with the Men's Soccer team, and is currently in his second season working with both the Men's and Women's squads.

In addition to his duties at Wesley, Clifford has served as the head coach of the U13 & U17 teams of the Delaware Olympic Development Program.  He was also the Head Coach of the Delaware Technical & Community College Men's Soccer team in 2011. Chris currently serves as the Director of Athletics at Calvary Christian Academy in Dover, DE. Chris is also proud to serve in leadership of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes On-Campus ministry at Wesley College.

Clifford played collegiately at Cuyahoga Community College before pursuing coaching while earning a bachelor's degree in Sports Management from Baldwin-Wallace in 2009, and a Master's of Business Administration from Wesley College in 2011.

Chris is also proud to volunteer in leadership of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes On-Campus ministry at Wesley College.