DETROIT (11/20/2025) -- The University of Detroit Mercy lost one of its best student-athletes and coaches in school history with the passing of Hall-of-Fame Earl Clark Jr. , who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91. 

Clark Jr. has a long history with the University of Detroit Mercy, as his dad, Earl "Dutch" Clark, is also in the school Hall of Fame and a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

"Coach was a tremendous person, who lived the mission of the university in all he did, and he had many roles," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Guy Murray '89. "An educator as coach, he was patient, funny, with quiet wisdom and quick wit; the life lessons were there all along.  I often think back and realize I should have listened better. When I feel like I'm doing something like he did, I'm doing it the right way."

Clark Jr. was a four-year letterwinner in tennis for the Titans from 1952-56, starring at No. 1 and a captain as a sophomore, junior and senior. He reached the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference as a junior, where he also qualified for the NCAA Tournament, and the semifinals as both a sophomore and senior.

As a prep at Cooley High School, he was ranked No. 9 in Southeastern Michigan as a junior and senior and was a member of the Junior Davis Cup Team. 

After graduation, he served in the Air Force, but came back to his alma mater as an assistant tennis coach in 1959, completing Physical education degree. After working at Michigan for a few years, he returned to U-D as a Physical Education professor before being hired as the cross country head coach in 1972, the tennis head coach in 1978, and the track and field head coach in 1982.

"Coach Clark was a tremendous mentor, coach, co-worker, and friend of mine," said U-D graduate alum and former coach Kevin Donner. "He gave me a roster spot to walk on the men's cross country team in the fall of 1980 when he didn't really need to, based on my high school career.  During my senior year of college in the winter of 1984, he asked me to be the first-ever women's cross country coach, and he continued to mentor me as I decided whether to make college coaching my career.  So he literally took a chance on me twice over a 4-year period, and I am forever indebted to Coach Clark, as I made coaching collegiate Track and Field and Cross Country my career.  He was a tremendous role model and one of the nicest people I have ever known.  I am so grateful that I had the chance to visit with him and his wife, Carol, in Colorado Springs two years ago.  Coach will be missed by many people, and he is leaving a tremendous legacy."

He was inducted into the Titan Hall Of Fame in 1985.

As a Titan, he spent 40 years at U-D, coaching tennis for 36 seasons before stepping down in 1991 and retiring from track and field and cross country coaching in 1995. He totaled over 300 career wins throughout all of his sports coaching. 

A memorial to remember coach Clark will be held on campus in the near future.