Lee Clark - Head Coach
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Office Phone: 276-328-0207 |
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Lee Clark finished a decade of leading The University of Virginia’s College at Wise men’s basketball program with a 12-game improvement and season to build upon going into the 2006-07 campaign.
Clark led the Highland Cavaliers to a remarkable improvement last season. UVA-Wise posted a 15-18 mark with three of the team's defeats to NCAA Division I squads. The Cavs made an exciting run into the Appalachian Athletic Conference playoffs. After finishing tied for seventh in the regular season, the Cavs defeated Milligan in the opening round before upsetting top seeded Tennessee Wesleyan in double overtime before falling to runner-up Union College on day three.
Clark's team looks to build upon the momentum of the 2005-06 season in the upcoming year. The Cavs return four starters including AAC Freshman of the Year Zydrunas Rackauskas, who averaged nearly a double-double (13.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg) in his first year. The squad will have only two seniors with the other three top scorers being juniors Jarred Soles (15.0 ppg), Seth Gibson (7.3 ppg) and Joey Blackwell (72 assists).
The 11th-year head coach holds the most career men’s basketball coaching victories of 132 wins, more than 50 more than Bernard Hall who is second on the list.
His 2002-03 squad set a new school record with 24 victories. The team captured the first AAC regular season title in the program’s history. The Cavs continued and swept through the conference tournament and won the championship over Virginia Intermont.
The team made the first NAIA national tournament appearance where they fell 78-73 to traditional power Cornerstone (IA) University.
Before taking over the UVa-Wise program, Clark was a successful high school coach. In six years, he led Twin Springs High School to four Region D championships and a state title. During his tenure, Clark’s teams tallied an impressive 126-28 record.
Under Clark, Twin Springs netted four 20-win seasons, four VHSL Group A state tournament appearances and three Group A Final Four trips. He was named Region D Coach of the Year for three consecutive seasons (1992, ‘93 and ‘94) and Cumberland District Coach of the Year five consecutive seasons.
Clark earned his bachelor’s degree from UVa-Wise in 1985 and later received his master’s degree in education from Lincoln Memorial University.
The Cavs coach lives in Gate City, Va. with his wife Michelle (Pendleton) Clark, who is also an alumnae of UVa-Wise.
They have two sons, Dalton and Dillon, who serve as managers for the UVa-Wise men’s basketball team.
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