Education:

BS       Northwestern University – Communication Studies/African American Studies 

MPE   Arizona State University – Physical Education Teaching and Coaching  

• Graduate Advisory/Mentor – Robert Pangrazi, Ph.D.

ED.D   University of North Carolina at Greensboro – Kinesiology and Exercise Science:

• Advisor/Committee Chair – Michael Hemphill, Ph.D  
• Dissertation  – Coach Readiness: Strength & Conditioning Competencies Developed Through Field Experience

Academic Interest / Teaching Specialty:

Coach Education and Pedagogy, Strength & Conditioning Theory and Technique, Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD), Periodization of Team Sports Training, Exercise Prescription, Performance Testing, and Evaluation

Research Interest:

Coach Education and Pedagogy, Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD)

Professional Service, Affiliations, & Leadership Roles

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

• Vice President – Executive Committee Board of Directors
• Board of Directors
• Southeast Regional Director
• North Carolina State Director

AAHPER/SHAPE America

American College of Sports Medicin (ACSM)

International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE)

United States Center for Coaching Excellence (USCCE)

Sport for Life Canada

Certifications:

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist w/Distinction (CSCS*D)

Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach w/Distinction (RSCC*D)

Bio:

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Clark holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University, where he competed on the football team in the Big Ten conference. Clark earned his Master’s degree in Physical Education from Arizona State University, where he also served as a graduate assistant coach in the sports performance department. Clark earned his doctor of education degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a focus on Kinesiology and Exercise Science.  His dissertation is titled: Coach Readiness: Strength & Conditioning Competencies Developed Through Field Experience.

Prior to his appointment at UNC Charlotte, Dr. Clark served as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Charlotte Country Day School (CCDS) in Charlotte, NC. From 2004-2022, Clark and his staff directed performance training for 70 middle school, junior varsity, and varsity teams (24 sports). In 2014, Clark received the NSCA’s High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award, and under his direction, CCDS earned the NSCA’s Strength of America Award for ten consecutive years. He has coached 10 NSCA High School Strength and Conditioning All-Americans and over 250 college-bound student-athletes. 

Dr. Clark has shared his research and coaching experiences by presenting on multiple topics domestically and internationally.

Relevant Conference Presentations:

Clark, D. (2022, July) Guide to High School Strength & Conditioning (P.McHenry and M.Nitka, eds.) (Panel Discussion) Participant, National Strength and Conditioning Association National Conference, New Orleans, LA.      

Clark, D. (2021, November) Experiential Learning in Action: The Development of a Coaching Fellowship Program. International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) Global Coach Conference, Lisbon, Portugal 

Clark, D. (2021, November) Experiential Learning in Action: The Development of a Coaching Fellowship Program. Australian Strength & Conditioning Association (ASCA) International Conference on Applied Strength and Conditioning, Brisbane, Australia 

Clark, D. (2021, January) Long-Term Athlete Development in Action: One School’s Approach to Aligning Athletic Development in a K-12 Environment. Virtual Sport for Life Canadian Summit.

Clark, D. (2020, December) The What, Where, How, and Why of the Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) Model. National Strength and Conditioning Association Northeast Regional Conference,l.

Clark, D. (2019, September) A Long-Term Development (LTAD) Approach to Plyometric Training for Individuals, Groups, or Teams. National Strength and Conditioning Association Southeast Regional Conference, Rock Hill, SC.

Clark, D. (2019, July) Fundamental Considerations for Developing a Successful High School Strength and Program. Presented at the National Strength and Conditioning Association National Conference, Washington, DC.

Clark, D. (2019, February) Fundamental Considerations for Developing a Successful High School Football Strength and Conditioning Program. USA Football National Convention, Orlando, FL.

Clark, D. (2018, November) Shoulder Stability, Core Stability, and Rotational Power for Sport – A Lecture/ Practical Session, National Strength and Conditioning Association North Carolina State Clinic, Duke University, Durham, NC.

Clark, D. (2018, January) Creating a Championship Culture:  Securing Buy-In from Coaches, Players and Administration (Panel Discussion) Participant /Moderator, National Strength and Conditioning Association Coaches Conference, Charlotte, NC.

Clark, D. (2015, October) Resistant Band Training with Large Groups (Lecture/ Practical Session), National Strength and Conditioning Association North Carolina State Clinic, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

Clark, D., Caruso, T. (2014, October) Benefits, Challenges, and Essentials of Developing a High School Strength & Conditioning Program, North Carolina Association of Independent Schools Annual Educators Conference, Concord, NC.

Clark, D., Hennessy, M., Smith, L.   (2012, October) Developing A Successful Off-Season Baseball Strength and Conditioning Program, North Carolina Association of Independent Schools Annual Educators Conference, Winston Salem, NC.

Clark, D., (2010, February) Medicine Ball Training for Teams (Lecture/Practical), National Strength and Conditioning Association North Carolina State Clinic, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte, NC.

Clark, D. (2008, February) The Anatomy of a Warm-Up (Lecture/Practical), National Strength and Conditioning Association North Carolina State Clinic, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte, NC.