Remembering a legend: Plano athletics community reflects on life, legacy of John Clark

"In my eyes, he's always been larger than life and someone who I and many others looked up to," said Jeff Smith, PISD athletic director."Not only did he serve in public education and coaching so well, he was such a great man and impacted so many lives, just with how he conducted his business and how he treated people by doing things the right way at all times — it left a lasting legacy in Plano and propelled Plano ISD for success."

Clark, 89, passed away on Sunday. He had been in a nursing facility in Tyler.

"I had talked to him on Friday. I hated to see him go," said Tom Kimbrough, former Plano head football coach and PISD athletic director."Thankfully, he was able to live a long life and he was taken care of because of the way he lived his life."

Kimbrough, who coached as an assistant under Clark from 1968-75, wasn't alone in those sentiments.

"The thing about coach Clark that I'll always remember is what you saw is what you got," said Jaydon McCullough, former Plano head football coach."He was a man of integrity and he was always going to be honest with you. He was really good about not overreacting. He listened to other people, would take what they said and use that to help them.

"When he said something, it was usually very impactful."

Said former Plano head football coach and PISD athletic director Gerald Brence: "His work ethic set such a high standard, and his off-the-field demeanor and approach were so consistent. We all rallied behind him."

That work ethic was evident well before Clark was patrolling the sidelines at Plano.

Born in Jacksonville, Texas, Clark played football, basketball and tennis in high school and began his college career playing basketball at Lon Morris Junior College. A Baylor graduate, Clark's coaching career included stops at Amarillo, where he served on the staff of future Texas Sports Hall of Fame coach Bum Phillips, as well as Weatherford and Jacksonville, before comingto Plano in 1964.

Upon taking over as the Wildcats' head coach in 1966, Clark amassed a career record of 107-17 during 10 seasons at the helm. Plano won double-digit ballgames during seven of those years and captured UIL state championships in 1967 and 1971.

"He's a legend in every right ... and his record as a head coach is so impressive, but more than that he was a man of integrity and honor," Smith said.

As Clark's peers will attest, that impact resonated well beyond on-field success, and that was apparent from the moment he set foot on campus in 1964 — the year when Plano integrated with Frederick Douglass School. Clark, a basketball and assistant football coach at the time, and Gray have been among those credited with helping the high school navigate the changing social climate.

"There were some adjustments that had to be made by the schools and the players," Clark told the Plano Star Courier in July 2012. "There always are in these situations, but I think we did a good job and a lot of credit for that should go to the people in the Douglass community."

One year later in 1965, the Wildcats won their first-ever state championship. Just a 2A high school at the time, Plano defeated Edna in the state final, 20-17.

"Being a coach, he was critical. He was a valuable part of that along with Dr. (Wayne) Hendrick, the Thomas family and the Williams family," Kimbrough said."He was a major reason that it worked out as well as it did. It went smooth considering the situation and the times, and it didn't hurt that they won the state championship either."

Following the Wildcats' title run, Gray took a head coaching job at Palo Duro and asked Clark if he wanted to join him in Amarillo. Clark resisted, hoping to pursue the Plano job instead. He took the reins at Plano in 1966, coaching the Wildcats for the next decade before moving into administration.

During Clark's time as athletic director, Plano would win three more state championships in football under Kimbrough.

"Coach Clark was really good about hiring people and putting them in the right place and trusting them. He was a great collaborator," McCullough said."He wanted your opinion and input. He was very precise about the decisions he made and you always knew it was something he believed in."

Clark went on to be inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1979 and he was the first member of PISD's Hall of Honor. In 1977, John Clark Stadium was built in Plano to seat more than 14,000 football fans as the newfound home venue for the Wildcats.

Beyond the football field, and even in retirement, Clark was active in the Plano community and was prominently involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

To coaches like McCullough, Brence and Smith, all of whom plied their craft as assistants in Plano before achieving head-coaching jobs of their own, Clark was a role model.

"There were times when I grew as a coach because he would pull me into his office and tell me things where I needed to improve," McCullough said."I look back on it and I'm so grateful that he was there to correct me. As a coach, it's something you remember and makes you want to do the same for other people."

Said Smith: "When a guy like that walks in the room, they're just different. He had a presence and anything he said you knew you had to listen and soak it up. I know that I asked a lot of questions about the Wildcats and the history and evolution of Plano. I asked for advice as a young coach and father, and he gave great advice to me. It was good to listen to his perspective and wisdom as a young coach."

Kimbrough, meanwhile, called Clark "a teacher, mentor and friend" — an influence so prominent in Kimbrough's own life that he chose to give his son, Kyle, the middle name "Clark."

The friendship between those two iconic Plano football coaches lasted long after their days leading the Wildcats to prominence.

"We were the closest of friends. Even with him living in Tyler, I still tried to talk with once a week and last talked to him on Friday," Kimbrough said. "I did most of the talking, but I'm just so thankful that, in a way, I got to say goodbye."

A memorial service for Clark will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at First Baptist Church of Plano. A grave-side ceremony will be at the Jacksonville City Cemetery at 2 p.m. Tuesday. According to Echovita.com, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to FCA North Texas in Plano.