CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith named Austin Clark as the new Fighting Illini defensive line coach. Clark comes to Champaign-Urbana after two seasons on the Southern Cal defensive staff, working with the Trojan defensive line and outside linebackers.
"Austin Clark came in for his interview and just blew us away with his enthusiasm and detail," Lovie Smith said. "He brings an outstanding attitude and high level of energy to our program. Our players are going to love working with Austin. He is extremely detailed and has a plan for each of the guys on the defensive line. Austin gained some great experience in his previous position, and will be a terrific addition to our staff."
Following his playing career at the University of California-Berkeley, Clark served one year with the Golden Bears as a recruiting assistant, before moving to Southern Cal as a defensive graduate assistant.
Clark, 27, spent six years (2009-14) as a defensive tackle at California, enduring an injury-plagued career. As a 2014 sixth-year senior starter, he had 22 tackles and made All-Pac-12 honorable mention while also winning Cal's Joe Roth Award (awarded to the player who best exemplifies courage, sportsmanship and attitude). He missed 2014 spring practice because of an injury.
He redshirted as a true freshman at Cal in 2009, played in three games as a redshirt freshman in 2010 and in 12 games off the bench as a sophomore in 2011. He was injured for most of his junior season, seeing action in only two games as a reserve, then he did not play in 2013 after he was granted a medical redshirt due to injury. Current USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast held a similar role at Cal during Clark's 2010 through 2012 seasons.
Clark received his bachelor's degree in American studies from California in 2014 and a master's degree in communication management from USC.
He prepped at Plant High in Tampa (Fla.), where he helped his team to the 2008 state championship as a senior. He made 219 tackles as a junior and senior.
He was born on Aug. 3, 1990. His sister, Adrienne, is an assistant softball coach at Connecticut after previously serving as an assistant at Delaware, Columbia and her alma mater Hofstra, where she starred as a pitcher (she once went 31.0 consecutive innings in the NCAA tourney without allowing a run, second most in NCAA history).
Clark's hire is pending approval by the UI Board of Trustees.
Austin Clark Coaching History
2018 Illinois, defensive line
2016-17 Southern California, assistant defensive line/outside linebackers
2015 California, recruiting assistant
Clark File
Birthdate: Aug. 3, 1990
Family: Single
Hometown (High School): Tampa, Fla. (H.B. Plant High School)
College: Bachelor's degree, American studies, California, 2014
Playing experience: California, defensive tackle, 2010-12, 2014
Years in Coaching: 3
