UCF Knights assistant coach Shawn Clark died Monday at the age of 50, nearly two weeks after suffering a medical emergency.
Clark, UCF’s offensive line coach, unexpectedly passed away on Sunday evening, the school said in a statement. He had suffered an unspecified medical emergency on Sept. 9 and had been hospitalized since then. He is survived by his wife, Jonelle, and their two children, Giana and Braxton.
Clark is a former head coach at Appalachian State, his alma mater. He went 40-24 in five-plus seasons at the school and went 3-1 in four bowl games. He was fired last December after a 5-6 season in 2024. He memorably led the school to an upset road win over a top-10 Texas A&M team in 2022, and gave a memorable and emotional interview after that game.
In addition to his head coaching stint, Clark was also a two-time All-American while playing for Appalachian State and had a highly successful career coaching offensive linemen. That included roles at Purdue and Eastern Kentucky and saw him coach multiple NFL draft picks.
Clark received numerous warm tributes on social media following his death from people who interacted with or worked with him. That included members of the media and fellow coaches.
My friend and former coworker Shawn Clark called me not long ago just to check in and encourage me after I left my job at Indiana. We ended up talking for about half an hour about life, family, and football. That was Shawn—always checking in on others and lifting people up.
— Clif Marshall (@ClifMarshall) September 22, 2025
Rest… https://t.co/U71bvGhmhI
I am so sad.
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) September 22, 2025
Shawn Clark was a dear friend and brother.
We shared a million laughs and many tears.
He was the best kind of man: caring, hardworking, and infinitely loyal. He invited me to App coaches fellowship meetings around the campfire in Boone. He displayed a copy of Never… pic.twitter.com/KrmwgDapqi
