Tampa Names J.B. Clarke as Head Men's Lacrosse Coach
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa has announced the hiring of J.B. Clarke as its head men's lacrosse coach. Clarke becomes the second coach in program history and replaces coach Rory Whipple who retired as the winningest coach in NCAA Division II history.
"We are thrilled to announce J.B. Clarke as our head men's lacrosse coach," says athletic director Larry Marfise. "We had an outstanding pool of qualified candidates, which speaks volumes for the caliber of our men's lacrosse program. We look forward to the continued success of the program as a national power and prime destination for the best all-around student-athletes in the country."
Clarke spent 10 years at Limestone University as the head coach of the Saints, following 12 years at Washington College and one season at Greensboro College. Clarke led the Saints to a 174-24 record and five straight conference championships and back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships. Clarke made history becoming the only coach in program history to win multiple championships.
Clarke has served on the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Committee and is the USILA Scholar All-America Committee DII Chair. He is the President of the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Association (IMLCA), and has served on the USILA Division III All-America Committee, the USILA National Poll Committee, and the U.S. National Team Selection Committee during his career.
Prior to joining the Saints, Clarke served as the head men's lacrosse coach and Assistant Director of Athletics at Washington College. He guided the Shoreman to a combined 138-63 (.687) overall record in 12 seasons, becoming the fastest coach to reach 100 wins in program history. He led the program to seven NCAA Division III tournament appearances and reached the Centennial Conference Championship in eight consecutive seasons. Clarke mentored 28 USILA All-Americans and 78 All-Centennial Conference honorees while in Chestertown.
Before his time with the Shoreman, Clarke was the offensive coordinator for Dave Cottle and Division I Loyola College in Baltimore, Md. The Greyhounds reached the NCAA Division I National Semifinals in 1998 and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Clarke first became a head coach at the college level in 1997 when he served one season at the helm of Greensboro College (N.C.). He inherited a squad that went 3-9 the previous season and transformed the program, leading the Pride to a 9-5 record with a Top 20 spot in the NCAA Division III national rankings.
A longtime offensive architect, Clarke applied his skill set as the offensive coordinator at Duke University from 1992-96. During his time in Durham, the Blue Devils won an ACC Championship in 1995 and appeared in the NCAA Division I Tournament in 1994 and 1995. The team recorded the program's first NCAA Tournament win in 1994 with a 14-9 decision over Maryland.
He has also served as an assistant at The Ohio State University and at Roanoke College in Salem, Va. While with Roanoke, Clarke helped the Maroons reach the NCAA Division III National Championship Game during the 1992 campaign.