Faith on the Field

Discovering God’s Faithfulness in the Midst of Uncertainty

The Journey, Winter 2022

Written by Maggie Watts

Throughout Shawn Clark’s football career, he has continually learned to rely on God in uncertainty and learned to be outspoken about his faith both on and off the field. The Appalachian State University head football coach clings to Hebrews 10:36 — “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (ESV).

Growing up

Clark grew up in a small town outside Charleston, West Virginia.

“My mom and dad always made sure I was in church. We went from Baptist to Nazarene to wherever you might wanna go to church,” Clark said.

When he came to App State in 1994, he “fell in love with the High Country.” He played as an offensive lineman for the Mountaineers from 1994 to 1998, under Coach Jerry Moore. Church was not Clark’s top priority at first. However, Coach Moore’s outspokenness for his faith strongly impacted him.

“I wasn’t very mature at the time, Clark said. “And you come here, and Coach Moore would instill that into his players — how important the church and having a relationship with God is. And it made an impact on me.”

Clark remembers Moore giving the players each a copy of the book of Psalms.

App State 31 to 17 victory against University of Alabama Birmingham at the 2019 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, 8 days after Clark’s introductory press conference

“I have about 20 of these,” Clark said, picking up a copy. “Coach Moore would give you one every single year. That kind of starts my day. Before I get on my phone, before I check my email, I take five to ten minutes a day and just spend my time to kind of clear my heart a little bit, clear my mind.”

Moore inspired Clark to begin his coaching career. Clark began coaching as a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville. He then worked as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky University, Purdue University, and Kent State University. Throughout the years of coaching, he kept in touch with Moore.

“I would always touch base with Coach Moore. And he would always say, ‘Hey, how’s your faith?”

Head coach 

In 2016, Clark returned to his alma mater to serve as an assistant coach for three seasons before staying on when Coach Eliah Drinkwitz arrived in 2019. When Drinkwtiz accepted an offer to become Missouri’s head coach that year, waves of uncertainty came crashing over Clark.  He could not tell what the future held for his family or for himself.

He had planned to serve as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri with Drinkwitz, but then App State asked him to interview for the coaching position. He did, and the rest is history. In 2019, before coaching App State to victory in their bowl game as interim coach, Clark officially became the head football coach at App State.

“We’re different than a lot of programs, and this is the same program that’s been going since 1988 when Coach Moore came,” Clark said. He said the team is unique because it hosts voluntary Bible studies and chapel services every week.

Appalachian State University football coach Shawn Clark

The coaches' Bible study, called “Fireside Service” is held every Wednesday night at Dr. Dick Furman’s house. The coaches eat Wendy’s, study the Word, read devotionals, listen to guest speakers, and fellowship together.

“That’s something I’m very proud of that we were able to do and carry on the tradition that Coach [Moore] started. Then Satterfield kept the tradition, and Eli kept the tradition, and now I’m keeping the tradition,” Clark said. “When coaches leave and you talk to them, they all ask ‘are you still doing the fireside service?’

He said it gives the coaches “time to get away from the craziness of college football” — a time where they can spend 30 to 45 minutes having a devotional and fellowship time.

The players’ Bible study also meets every Wednesday night, in the team room. The study is led by football players — each year, a new player leads.

“It starts off with five or ten guys the first week, and then it’s 15 to 20. Before you know it, you have 40 to 50 players having their Bible study,” Clark said. 

On Friday nights, the coaches and players may gather for a chapel service led by team Chaplain Reggie Hunt.  

“Again, the first Friday night it’s about 20 players, then the following is 30 players, and then it’s about 50 to 60 when it’s all said and done. We wanna give everyone the opportunity to lead your life in Christ. We can’t make that mandatory, but we always encourage it, and it’s important to be able to fulfill your life,” Clark said.

Appalachian State University football coach Shawn Clark

God’s steadfast faithfulness through uncertainty 

Throughout the highs and lows of coaching, Clark has found encouragement in his local church, and Hebrews 10:36.

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (Hebrews 10:36 ESV).

This verse reminds Clark that doing things the right way means doing what God wants you to do. When things don’t work out how he wants them to, he looks to this verse for encouragement and perspective.

“I just go back to Hebrews. You need to persevere, and if you have done the will of God, you will get what He has promised,” Clark said. “Here in our program, we try to treat people the right way — how you’d want your family treated. Give them the opportunity to grow in their faith. And do the right things. So that’s what we do as a program and that’s where we are today.” 

Clark attends Blowing Rock Baptist Church, where Rusty Guenther serves as lead pastor. 

In a sermon that really impacted Clark, Guenther said, “when one window shuts, two doors open.” Guenther’s teaching has reminded Clark that God has a plan, even if the plan is not what you would envision for yourself. In the midst of uncertainty about his job, Clark is reminded to give God control.

This reminder has been extremely personal for Clark as he coaches through the unprecedented seasons of COVID-19. He became the head football coach in December 2019 — right before the entire world changed.

“I had been coaching for 20 years. I had a plan of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to run my program. And then this thing called COVID came and shut the whole world down,” he said. “This was not in the playbook I had written for the last 20 years.”
How do you have a football practice where the players don’t touch each other?

What do you do when your players are getting quarantined?

Clark with his son Braxton and friend after App State’s victory over Marshall in 2021

While COVID-19 raged on in the summer of 2020, social justice issues broke out as well. 

“I'm a white man from Charleston, West Virginia. I didn't have those same experiences as other players in the program. So… we listened, and we were there for our players, and we empathized with them, we loved on them,” Clark said. “Really, that locker room got us through everything, and I'm so proud of that locker room. I do believe that if people were in a college football locker room, the world would be different because you don't see black and white, you don't see social-economic backgrounds, or where you came from. You see men, you see people who want the best interest of all their teammates.”

God used the unprecedented summer of 2020 to teach Clark the power of listening, even during disagreements. 

“By listening, we became a stronger team. We became a stronger family, by listening to one another. And that's a very simple lesson the world could learn,” he said.

As Shawn looks forward to his third season with the team, his personal relationship with God, his relationship with his family, and his grounding in the Word of God are where he finds his strength. It’s also been part of an App State tradition for years, providing a strong foundation for the success they’ve had in football and life.

Pictures used with permission of Appalachian State University