Former WSU football coach Bert Clark dies
Former Washington State head football coach Robert B. “Bert” Clark Jr., whose 1965 “Cardiac Kids” beat three Big Ten teams on the road, has died. He was 74.
Clark died Monday in Katy, Texas. A graveside service was scheduled for today at Wichita Falls, Texas, WSU’s sports information department reported Friday.
Clark, who played linebacker at Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson, coached at Washington State from 1964-1967, compiling a 15-24-1 record.
Born Feb. 12, 1930, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Clark was an all-state lineman in high school, then enrolled at Oklahoma, where he was twice named an All-Big 8 linebacker and played on the Sooners’ 1950 and 1951 Sugar Bowl teams.
After playing a year for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, Clark served as an assistant coach at Arkansas and Washington, joining former Oklahoma teammate Jim Owens.
He replaced Jim Sutherland as head coach at WSU in 1964, compiling a 5-11-1 record in the AAWU Conference. His 1965 team was the most successful at 7-3, with close road wins over Iowa, Minnesota and Indiana to earn the nickname “Cardiac Kids.”
He later was an assistant at New Mexico and with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL before returning to Texas and entering private business. Clark was a stock broker in Dallas and Galveston.
Clark, who was divorced from his wife, Jo, is survived by a son and a daughter.
Orgeron has checkered past
Mississippi coach Ed Orgeron was charged with repeated domestic violence in the early 1990s when he was an assistant at Miami, according to records obtained by the Associated Press.
Background checks were conducted on Orgeron and other candidates, chancellor Robert Khayat said at a news conference introducing Orgeron as the Rebels’ coach. Athletic director Pete Boone said school officials are aware of the coach’s history.
“Many years ago coach Orgeron had a very unpleasant experience that involved behavior he is not proud of,” Khayat said at Thursday’s news conference. “Pete Boone, the athletics committee and I are totally comfortable and confident that coach Orgeron is going to provide the kind of role model that we want for our program.”
Hoeppner takes over at IU
Miami of Ohio’s Terry Hoeppner was hired as Indiana’s football coach and vowed to take the Hoosiers to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1968.
Hoeppner, 48-23 in six seasons at Miami, takes over a team with 10 straight losing seasons.
Dorrell’s contract extended
Second-year UCLA coach Karl Dorrell’s contract was extended for two years, putting him under contract with the school through the 2010 season.
The Bruins (6-5) will face Wyoming (6-5) in the Las Vegas Bowl Thursday.