IRVINE, Calif. – For the first time in 25 years, Concordia University Irvine has a new men's basketball head coach.
Concordia University Irvine athletics announced the beginning of a new chapter in the storied history of the program, introducing Scott Clark as the next leader of Concordia men's basketball.
Clark has served for the last dozen years as an assistant coach helping elevate programs at both the NCAA D1 and D2 levels.
Most recently, Clark was the top assistant for Rick Croy at California Baptist University, helping the Lancers make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. CBU also won their first WAC Championship this March by winning the conference tournament with a big comeback, overcoming a seven-point deficit in the final three minutes of the championship game. This was actually his second stint at CBU, as he started his coaching career there in Riverside from 2014-2016.
Prior to coaching at CBU the previous two seasons, he honed his craft and developed relationships at Regis University in Denver, Colorado for six years and at Cal State LA for multiple seasons. He helped build up the programs at both those locations on solid foundations that led to future success.
Those experiences and the mission of the university made Concordia a very attractive opportunity for him and his family.
"Jesus was the ultimate competitor," said Clark. "To be at a faith-filled institution and a place that sets student-athletes up for success is very important to me, and this is an incredible location in Orange County. Competing for championships here is the expectation and that excites me. If you want to come here just to play basketball this might not be the right place for you. But if you want to grow and leave this place a better person and a better man, this is as good as you're going to find."
"From our very first conversations, it is clear that Scott brings the energy, the vision, and the leadership that align perfectly with where we are going," said CUI VP of Athletics and head softball coach Crystal Rosenthal. "He is a proven competitor, a relationship-builder, and a teacher of the game. More importantly, he is a leader of young men, someone who will challenge our student-athletes to grow and excel in every aspect of their lives."
"Scott has a passion for excellence, he understands what it takes to build a winning program and he embraces the responsibility of representing this university with integrity and purpose," added Rosenthal. "His commitment to faith, mentorship and developing the whole person made him not just a strong candidate, but the right choice."
"I want to thank Crystal and her team, all the coaches, President Thomas and Vice President Tim Jaeger, you guys have been first-class from day one and the vision from the top down is inspiring and something to strive for with our program," added Clark. "I am excited about the future."
In looking to what lies ahead, Coach Clark made sure to acknowledge Concordia's past – from the alumni to former head coach Ken Ammann.
"Coach Ammann built a highly respected and successful program over 25 years and it excites me that that foundation is there," explained Clark. "There are a lot of alumni that have worn this jersey proudly and earned their degree from here. I look forward to continuing to connect with them and just making sure that they know that this place is always home for them. Whether they wore that jersey 25 years ago or five years ago, I want this place to be home for them and for our current and future student-athletes as well."
His mentors include Croy, recently retired CSULA head coach Jim Saia and Brady Bergeson, who is now the head coach at Cal State San Marcos.
During Wednesday's press conference, Clark also made a point to mention his father as an inspiration for developing his passion for coaching at a young age.
"You introduced me to the game at a young age," explained Clark as he shared an emotional moment with his father and family. "Those are memories that last a lifetime. You instilled a competitive fire in me, a work ethic and a resilience that has led me to this opportunity."
A former student-athlete at Humboldt State University (now called Cal Poly Humboldt), Clark earned his bachelor's degree of science in kinesiology and graduated in 2013. He earned his master of science in kinesiology in 2015 during his first stint at CBU.
CUI has made the PacWest Conference Tournament each of the past two seasons and finished tied for fifth place in the league this past year. The Golden Eagles went 16-14 overall and were 12-10 in conference play.
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