UCF's Scott Frost, coordinators reflect on the life and impact of Shawn Clark
UCF head coach Scott Frost spoke at length Wednesday about offensive line coach Shawn Clark, who passed away unexpectedly just over a week after suffering a medical emergency. The Knights’ weekly press conference was delayed two days as the program continued to process the loss of one of its most beloved coaches.
For Frost, who only had the opportunity to work with Clark for a short time, the connection was immediate and deeply personal.
“From my standpoint, I just miss my friend,” Frost said. “I wasn’t around him as long as I’ve been around some other people, but he just had an energy and a spirit about him. He was one of my favorite guys I’ve ever been around and coached with. It’s just a tough deal.”
Frost said the outpouring of messages and support from around the football world revealed just how many lives Clark had touched.
“It wasn’t just our players. The messages I’ve received show how many people cared about him and how many lives he impacted,” Frost said. “Kids are smart — they can tell if somebody really cares about them or if they’re just being used as a tool to win football games. Shawn’s compassion and love for his players was real, and they knew that.”
When Frost first interviewed Clark for the job, he said it was obvious right away that he was the right fit for UCF.
“Who Shawn was, he didn’t hide it,” Frost explained. “He was who he was, and everything that was great about him shone through immediately when I met him. He was obviously a really good football coach, too, but that’s not as important as the other things in life.”
Clark’s ability to build bonds with his players and fellow coaches stood out. Frost recalled private conversations the two had, often leaning on each other’s experiences as head coaches who had endured challenges in the profession.
“We spend a ton of time together as coaches, and you develop real bonds,” Frost said. “He always had a smile on his face. He and I talked a lot about some of the hard things we’ve both been through in this industry. He was great for me to bounce ideas off of as somebody else who had sat in the head coach’s seat. I just wish I had more time with him.”
Frost said Clark exemplified the type of man he wanted to surround himself with in the program.
“He was the perfect example of what I want in our building,” Frost said. “He cared about people. He loved his players. And he brought a spirit that made everyone around him better.”
As UCF continues through a difficult season emotionally, Frost said the best way forward is to carry on Clark’s legacy by supporting one another and playing with the same passion Clark showed every day.
“The players loved him because he loved them,” Frost said. “That bond is something special, and I think our team will continue to fight for him and for each other.”
Alex Grinch on Shawn Clark: “I just pray for his wife and kids”
Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch offered his own perspective on the loss that has shaken the program.
Grinch described the news as a sobering reminder of life’s fragility.
“It’s a great and sad reminder that the world just keeps moving along, and it’s not fair,” Grinch said. “It’s not fair to his family, but unfortunately you’re reminded how the world keeps spinning for everybody else, and it’s an awful feeling that way. Your world changes in an instant. We still get to go coach football and go home to our families, but that’s not reality for the Clark family anymore. I just hurt for them.”
Clark’s office remains untouched inside the football building — a daily reminder to the staff and players of his absence.
“You walk by his office every single day and see his family pictures in there,” Grinch said. “I just pray for his wife and kids.”
The challenge for Grinch and the rest of the staff has been balancing the grief with the reality of preparing for football games.
“That’s probably the hardest part — you don’t even know what message you want to give yourself,” Grinch admitted. “Every time you focus on football, you feel like you’re doing wrong by him. But the truth is, the players need as much normalcy as they can get. Once you’re in the meeting room or on the practice field, football becomes a distraction. But I don’t claim to be good at it, and I don’t know if you can be.”
Though Clark primarily worked with the offense, Grinch said his presence was felt throughout the entire program.
“One thing Coach Frost has done here is make sure it doesn’t feel like the offense and defense are two separate programs,” Grinch said. “Shawn sat right next to me in team meetings, and there’s a void there now. I’ll make sure no one sits in that chair. That’s his spot. The guys have rallied around each other, which is good. He was a family guy, and players knew that. When guys would ask him about his son’s baseball games, he’d light up. That’s who he was.”
Grinch also valued Clark’s perspective as a fellow coach who had once been in the head chair.
“He was someone you could lean on,” Grinch said. “He had a great sense of humor, but also seriousness when it came to football. And he’d been a head coach, so when you’d ask him about things from that perspective, he could give you real insight. He made everyone around him better.”
As the Knights try to move forward, Grinch believes the best way to honor Clark is through their actions on the field and within the program.
“You can put a patch on a jersey, but none of it feels like enough,” Grinch said. “The real responsibility is to make him proud and maybe give his family something to look to over the coming weeks.”
Steve Cooper remembers Shawn Clark: “As good as it gets as a person”
UCF offensive coordinator Steve Cooper fought back tears this week as he reflected on the sudden passing of offensive line coach Shawn Clark, whose impact on the staff and players was immediate and profound.
“It’s been a tough week,” Cooper said. “The team is grieving. The staff is grieving. Coach Frost has done a great job reminding us that there are more important things than football — our families and our faith. Those are the things we fall back on when we’re dealing with something like this. But make no mistake, this has been hard. Coach Clark was as good as it gets as a football coach, but more importantly, he was an incredible human being. Someone I looked up to and someone I learned a lot from. He was kind of the glue guy for our staff.”
Clark joined UCF’s staff just nine months ago, yet his presence was quickly felt. Cooper said Clark became both a mentor and a friend during that time.
“Coach Clark had this larger-than-life personality,” Cooper said. “He mentored me from the day he got here. His ability to lead, to steady a room, and to make things feel lighter even when the pressure was high — I’ll never forget that. He was someone who could always bring me back to a better place with just his smile. He was the light in the room.”
For Cooper, what stood out most about Clark was his authenticity and his ability to connect with everyone he met.
“He was the same with the players as he was with the staff,” Cooper explained. “He had that bite every good coach needs, especially with the offensive line, but he also had this rare ability to meet each individual where they were at. It didn’t matter if you were from the South, West Coast, or anywhere else — he could relate to anyone. That’s because he was truly authentic, and the kids knew it. They bought into him because he was real.”
As the program works to carry on, Cooper pointed to offensive line assistant Alex “Bear” Farah, who was especially close to Clark, as someone helping steady the group.
“Coach Bear has been phenomenal,” Cooper said. “He’s known Coach Clark longer than anyone on staff, and he’s carried himself with such professionalism during this time. His care for the kids and for Coach Clark’s family is evident in everything he does.”
The players, Cooper added, have leaned on each other while processing grief.
“When you’re part of a team, you have teammates to support you,” Cooper said. “Grief is strange — you can go five minutes feeling fine, and then suddenly something reminds you of your friend and you’re hit again. Having each other makes a difference. As a staff and as a team, we know we can count on one another, and that helps.”
Cooper said the biggest lesson he took from Clark was the importance of positivity in a profession that can easily wear coaches down.
“Coach Clark was always steady,” Cooper said. “No matter the stress, he approached it with a smile. That’s something I aspire to be more like — less negative, more positive. That’s what I’ll carry with me.”
Clark’s death has left a void that cannot be filled, but Cooper said his legacy will continue to guide the program.
“He was a mentor, a friend, a light for all of us,” Cooper said. “We’re going to miss him dearly, but the best way we can honor him is by doing what he loved — preparing, competing, and taking care of each other.”
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