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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Appalachian State, after its first losing season since 2013, has fired football coach Shawn Clark, who went 40-24 in his five seasons with the Mountaineers, it was announced Monday.
Clark’s buyout dropped from $1 million to $500,000 on Monday, sources told ESPN, and the move comes in the wake of a 5-6 season. Appalachian State had last had a losing season in 2013, when it went 4-8 in Scott Satterfield’s first season.
“I want to thank Shawn for all he has done for the App State football program,” athletic director Doug Gillin said in a statement. “Shawn is a true Mountaineer. He has given his heart and soul to his alma mater. He has navigated numerous challenges in his tenure and done so with class and integrity. This was a difficult decision, but after an evaluation of the program, we decided to make the change now.”
Appalachian State hired Clark from the staff of former coach Eliah Drinkwitz after he left for Missouri following the 2019 season. The move was made in part for stability in the program after Drinkwitz left after just one season.
Clark’s teams went 19-7 over the first two seasons, and he made the conference title game in 2021 and 2023. He also coached one of the biggest upsets in recent college football seasons, leading App State to a stunning 17-14 victory at Texas A&M in 2022.
Clark’s fortunes looked dim in 2023, however, until the Mountaineers won six of seven games to close the season. This year, Appalachian State lost three straight games midseason and closed the season with two losses in the last three games. It finished 3-5 in the Sun Belt.
“The expectation for App State Football is to annually compete for a conference championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff,” Gillin said in the statement. “… Mountaineer fans are among the most passionate in the country, and we are committed to providing a football program that builds upon the decades of previous championship tradition.”
Clark is an App State graduate who had been on staff there in some capacity since 2016.
