Appalachian State became the fourth FBS football program in North Carolina to dismiss its head coach this fall, relieving Shawn Clark of his duties on Monday afternoon.
Clark finished his Mountaineers’ tenure with a 40-24 record. He never had a losing record until this year’s team finished 5-6.
“I want to thank Shawn for all he has done for the App State football program,” director of athletics Doug Gillin said in a statement. “Shawn is a true Mountaineer. He has given his heart and soul to his alma mater. He has navigated numerous challenges in his tenure and done so with class and integrity. This was a difficult decision, but after an evaluation of the program, we decided to make the change now.”
Clark had strong ties to the university, having played on the offensive line for the Mountaineers in the 1990s. He was a two-time All-American (1996, 1998) and made all-conference three times (1995-96, 1998). He graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
Clark served as an assistant coach in Boone before assuming head coaching duties following the 2019 season. Appalachian State played in four bowl games and two conference title games under Clark.
App State finished strong in 2023, knocking off a ranked James Madison team and winning the Cure Bowl to get to nine victories. The Mountaineers faced an array of on- and off-the-field issues this year, including the death of a player and disruptions from Hurricane Helene, which forced the cancellation of the Liberty game in Boone in late September.
Despite Clark’s strong App State pedigree – and his solid resume of success – in the end it wasn’t enough to save his job after a down season.
“The expectation for App State Football is to annually compete for a conference championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff,” Gillin said. “We have commenced a national search to quickly find the next leader for App State Football. Mountaineer fans are among the most passionate in the country, and we are committed to providing a football program that builds upon the decades of previous championship tradition.”
North Carolina College Football | Coaching Carousel 2024
- Oct. 20 – East Carolina fires Mike Houston as head coach; Blake Harrell named interim
- Nov. 14 – Elizabeth City State fires Marcus Hilliard as head coach
- Nov. 16 – Elizabeth City State names David Castillo as interim head coach
- Nov. 18 – Charlotte fires Biff Poggi as head coach; Tim Brewster named interim
- Nov. 25 – UNC fires Mack Brown as head coach
- Nov. 25 – Scott Abell resigns as Davidson’s head coach, named new coach at Rice University; Jon Berlin named interim coach
- Nov. 27 – East Carolina officially announces Blake Harrell as its new head coach
- Dec. 1 – UNC names Freddie Kitchens as interim coach
- Dec. 2 – Appalachian State fires Shawn Clark as head coach
