Time To Pass The Torch

Bo Clark – a name that has been synonymous with not only Flagler College Basketball but within the basketball community in the state of Florida for nearly 40 years— surely deserves a day like today. Today, February 18, 2017, we will gather in the Flagler College Gymnasium to honor a coach whose career has spanned across four decades, 31 years of which have been at a single institution, Flagler College.

Coach Clark’s coaching career has been just as decorated as his playing career at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in which he lead the nation in scoring in 1977, averaging 31.6 points per game, and landing a feature in Sports Illustrated in December 1977. One of his most prolific scoring nights came against Florida Memorial College with a 70-point game BEFORE THE 3 POINT LINE. While all those stats are worth expanding on, Coach Clark would be the first to say that playing for his dad, TORCHY CLARK, was the highlight of his playing career at UCF. Right now, in UCF arena, two banners hang honoring Coach Clark (who remains the Knights’ all time scoring leader) and his beloved father, Torchy, for their historic contributions to UCF Basketball.

Just as the Clark name impacted the UCF and surrounding Central Florida communities, it’s impact on the Flagler community has meant just as much. Coach Clark has surmounted over 490 wins as Flagler’s head coach and three-time Coach of The Year nods along with ten, twenty win seasons, two Sweet 16 appearances, and 23 All-Conference players. However, just as Coach Clark valued relationships over awards during his playing career, he’s echoed that same mantra as a coach. He’s positively impacted the lives of all he’s come into contact with during his coaching tenure at Flagler. From his players to the students in the stands, from the coaching staff at Flagler to the gym maintenance staff, Coach Clark has always made it his mission to show how much he cares. Furthermore, Clark never forgets a name. He could be in the cereal aisle at Publix and see a grown man who came to his camp 20 years ago, and without hesitation he’d remember his name.

In addition, it’s not likely you’d be able to go a week during the summer without seeing a kid in a Bo Clark Basketball Camp T-shirt. Clark’s camp has been one of the most successful youth basketball camps in the state of Florida over the last 30 years. If you grew up in St. Augustine, you attended at least one session of Bo Clark Camp, you’ve won at least one airhead for winning knock out, you’ve felt the excitement of BIG FRIDAY, and you know how to give a mean “3 CLAPS.” It’s safe to say that if you grew up in St. Augustine, a staple of your childhood involves attending Bo Clark Basketball Camp.

The great Pat Summit once said, “It’s about relationships, not championships.” Today, hundreds of people will pack the Flagler College gym proving that Coach Clark’s impact has been felt far beyond the 90 feet of hardwood he’s so feverishly paced over the last 31 years. He’s known for his dry sense of humor, famous one liners, post game speeches, and coaching outbursts that always lead to hilarious stories when you get his players together. However, the best stories come from Clark himself. As his daughter-in-law, I’ve had the privilege to share a dinner table with Coach Clark hundreds of times over the last decade. Everything everyone says—it’s all true. He is an amazing man, a family man, a class act, a servant leader, and a man that has always hung his hat on doing the right thing.

Picture this – it’s probably 2004 – I’m a freshman in high school dating Clark’s middle son, David. My mom had dropped me off at the Clark’s house for one of the many dinners I’ve shared with the Clark family. As soon as I walked in the house, there is Coach Clark on the sofa folding a basket of his three son’s laundry, watching game film with one of his many yellow pads nearby to scribble on every couple of minutes. His wife, Nancy, had gone to pick up one of the boys from practice, and he’d just put on a pot of chili (a Clark favorite). That is how I’ll always see him—a family man—who always put others before himself. In the midst of a crazy basketball season, there he was watching Embry Riddle film while folding his sons’ hundreds of Flagler T-shirts and basketball shorts.

A basketball season spans three to four months; however, the seasons can sometimes feel like dog years. The grueling hours, the recruiting grind, practices, long road trips, and tough losses can be taxing. It takes a team. As someone who has been so lucky to be around the Clark family for over a decade, it’s been amazing to see how strong their family is. Just as hard as it is to be a coach, it’s even harder to be a coach’s wife. Coach Clark’s wife, Nancy, has been the ultimate teammate, the team mom, the shoulder to lean on, and the MVP of the Clark family. Today, we honor Coach Clark, but he will tell you he could have never withstood 31 years without his beloved wife, Nancy.

Nearly a month ago on January 23rd, Clark stood in front of friends, family, co-workers, and media in the Flagler Room on Flagler College’s beautiful campus to announce his retirement after the 2016-2017 season. His speech echoed that of his career—humble, ever grateful, sharp, professional, and of course filled with those amazing one-liners that only he can so effectively deliver. He expressed the love he had for Flagler College, how grateful he felt, how thankful he was to work alongside so many great coaches, and the pride he had in coaching so many amazing young men. He expanded on how much he enjoyed raising his three boys, J.P., David, and Matt in the Flagler College gym, and how thankful he was to his wife, Nancy.

During his speech he addressed the crowd saying, “I feel it’s time to pass the TORCH.” Everyone in the room, everyone who knows him that was watching knew why that line struck such emotion within him. He was closing in on the end of a road he began long ago with his father, his coach, and his hero—Torchy Clark. He has followed so graciously in his father’s footsteps.

Coach Clark – you may be passing the TORCH. But, THE TORCH WILL NEVER GO OUT.