The 2011 campaign marks Doug Clark's third season in command of the distance runners for the Tigers track and field/cross country program. This year, in cross country, he looks to improve upon the squad's successes in 2010. Last season was highlighted by James Maglasang recording the first individual Tiger victory in a meet in six years on the men's side, and women's team earning a return trip to the NCAA South Regional for the first time since 2005. Clark joined the Memphis staff in 2009 with a lengthy resume. He has coached All-Americans in cross country, as well as in the 1500m, mile, 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, 5000m and distance medley relay. He has also coached an NCAA Champion in the 3000m steeplechase and an Olympian in the 1500m. Prior to Memphis, Clark spent nine years at Kansas. In Clark's last five seasons with the Jayhawks, the men's cross country team had four All-Americans. Clark's men's cross country team at Kansas finished 12th at the 2005 NCAA Championships and 20th at the 2006 NCAA Championships. During his Kansas tenure, Clark mentored three-consecutive Big 12 Champions from 2004-06 (Benson Chensang in 2004-05 and Colby Wissel in 2006). He also coached Kansas alumnus Charlie Gruber to a second-place finish at the 2004 Olympic Trials, earning Gruber a place on the 2004 USA Olympic Team in the 1500m run. Before his nine-year stint at Kansas, Clark was an assistant coach at Tulsa under current Kansas coach Stanley Redwine from 1994-2000. While at Tulsa, Clark's athletes held school records in the 800m, 1000m, 1500m, mile, 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, 5000m, distance medley relay and 4x800m relay. Clark coached distance runner Dwight Davis, who posted a 3:59.29 mile time to become Tulsa's first ever NCAA All-American. In 1994 at UTEP, Clark assisted the Miners to a No. 3 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and a national runner-up showing at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. That same year, Clark also coached former UTEP track standout Jim Svenoy to the 3000m steeplechase crown at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and a runner-up finish in the 3000m at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Clark began his coaching career at the University of Arkansas as a volunteer assistant coach, before being promoted to an assistant coach in 1991. While Clark was an assistant, the Razorbacks won all nine NCAA Championships in cross country (three), indoor track (three), and outdoor track (three) during the 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 academic years, commonly referred to as the "NCAA Triple Crown." As recruiting coordinator at Arkansas, Clark helped assemble one of the most dominant programs in the history of NCAA Track and Field/Cross Country that included more than two dozen All-Americans. A 1981 graduate of Central Missouri State University, Clark was an NCAA qualifier in cross country and qualified for the 1980 Olympic Marathon Trials, posting a time of 2:17:40. He was the top Master's runner in Oklahoma from 1996-2000, recording times of 14:58/5K, 25:45/8K and 31:41/10K. |
Memphis Tigers
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