Bernard Clark Jr. is the head coach of Robert Morris football in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, and enters his ninth season leading the program in 2026. He was named the third head coach in school history on Dec. 19, 2017. A native of Tampa, Florida, Clark brought an extensive background in college coaching, professional football, and championship-level playing experience to Robert Morris, and his tenure has included one of the most significant turnarounds in program history along with multiple seasons of conference recognition and individual player success. Clark’s 2025 team featured eight Northeast Conference All-Conference selections and saw freshman wide receiver Jaqai Carter emerge as a national finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, presented to the top freshman in the FCS. Carter became the first Colonial to reach the finalist stage for that honor since 2018. In 2024, Clark led Robert Morris back into the NEC, and the Colonials responded with a 7-5 overall record and a 4-2 conference mark. The team won its final six home games and finished 3-0 against NEC opponents at home. Nine RMU players earned All-NEC recognition, and 15 were named to Phil Steele’s All-NEC team. Linebacker Luke Beltavski was voted NEC Football Fall Scholar-Athlete of the Year, made the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team, and joined teammate William Barber on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team. Clark’s first major breakthrough at Robert Morris came in 2019, when the Colonials went 7-5 overall and 6-1 in NEC play. The team won seven of its final nine games, delivered the program’s first winning season since 2010, and finished second in the league standings, the highest finish for Robert Morris in nine seasons. For that turnaround, Clark was named NEC Co-Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award as the top coach in FCS football. The Colonials also won the NEC Sportsmanship Award for the first time in school history. Eight RMU players earned All-NEC honors that year, up from three in Clark’s first season, and Matthew Gonzalez was named a STATS FCS Third Team All-American after earning Associated Press FCS Second Team All-America honors the previous year, becoming the first player in program history to earn FCS All-America recognition in consecutive seasons. During Robert Morris’ four seasons in the Big South from 2020 through 2023, Clark guided the program through conference realignment while maintaining competitive and cultural standards. Nine student-athletes earned All-Big South honors over that period, and the Colonials won the 2021 Big South Team Sportsmanship Award, which is voted on by conference student-athletes. Clark also saw players advance to the professional level. Defensive back Tavin Harville became the first RMU player under Clark to sign an NFL contract when he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and Rob Carter Jr.
later signed a reserve-future contract with the Indianapolis Colts in January 2026. Before arriving at Robert Morris, Clark spent four seasons at Albany. He joined the Great Danes in 2014 as assistant head coach and linebackers coach before being promoted in 2015 to associate head coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach. His defenses were among the best in the FCS. In 2017, Albany ranked ninth nationally in defense and finished in the top 20 in eight statistical categories. In his first season there, the Great Danes led the nation in turnover margin and fumble recoveries. That performance reflected the defensive identity Clark had built during years as an assistant at several other programs. Clark began his college coaching career at James Madison in 1998, working with the defensive ends for two seasons. He then spent four years at Liberty coaching linebackers and special teams. In 2004 and 2005, he served as defensive coordinator at Florida International before moving to South Florida in 2006 to coach the defensive line. He returned to FIU in 2007 and 2008, then served as defensive coordinator at Hampton in 2009, linebackers coach at Pittsburgh in 2010, linebackers coach at Colorado State in 2011, and returned to Hampton again, first coaching the defensive line and then coordinating the defense. At Pittsburgh, he was part of a unit that finished in the top 10 of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Clark also brings a distinguished playing résumé. At Miami, he was a linebacker on national championship teams in 1987 and 1989. As a sophomore, he was named the MVP of the 1988 Orange Bowl after recording 14 tackles, including 12 solo stops, in Miami’s 20-14 win over Oklahoma that secured the national title. That performance later helped earn him induction into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame in 2022. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 1990 NFL Draft and played two seasons with the Bengals, one with the Seattle Seahawks, and later in the Arena Football League with the Orlando Predators. Clark graduated from Miami in 1989. His career has since combined leadership as a coach, teacher, and author. In 2022, he published his first book, "Ascension: A Coach’s Guide to Becoming a Better Man, Father, and Husband." He and his wife, Tammy, live in Clinton, Pennsylvania.
