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The Topeka Capital Journal
Kansas State football coach offers condolences to UCF after Shawn Clark death
- Story byThe Topeka Capital Journal
- Kansas State football coach offers condolences to UCF after Shawn Clark death
MANHATTAN — Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman opened his weekly media session by offering his condolences to UCF and the family of Knights offensive line coach Shawn Clark, who died Sunday, Sept. 21, at the age of 50.
UCF announced Clark had been hospitalized since suffering a medical emergency on Sept. 9. The Knights had kept his status largely under wraps for the last two weeks. Last week, head coach Scott Frost said Clark was stable, but the team's thoughts and prayers remained with him.
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UCF will visit Kansas State on Saturday, Sept. 27 , for an 11 a.m. game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Shawn Clark speaks to UCF's offensive linemen ahead of the team's Aug. 28 home opener against Jacksonville State.
"I've met Shawn a couple of times ... my heart goes out to his family," Klieman said Monday, Sept. 22. "My heart goes out to Coach Frost and the UCF athletic department and the football family. To go through something like that in-season, I can't even imagine, but I know they'll lift Shawn up and play their tails off for him.
"It's unfortunate whenever you lose somebody in our profession, because we all know how hard this business is, what we put into the business, what the families put into the business and then somebody loses their life so early, it's really tragic."
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After UCF's 34-9 win over North Carolina on Saturday, Frost and multiple players stated they were playing for Clark. Offensive quality control coach Alex Farah, Clark's "handpicked assistant," served as the interim offensive line coach during the contest.
UCF hired Clark in January. He spent the previous five seasons as head coach at his alma mater, Appalachian State , and posted a 40-24 record.
Kansas coach Lance Leipold was among the other Big 12 coaches to offer his condolences to UCF and Clark's family.
"I want to give our thoughts and prayers to the family of Shawn Clark and the UCF football program," Leipold said. "It's really a tragedy. We've been thinking about them, and Mike Dawson (now the UCF defensive run-game coordinator), who was on our staff last year. We've been in touch quite a bit, and we talked about the quality of man, husband and coach he was. He'll truly be missed."
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Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_ , contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Shawn Clark dies: Kansas State football reacts to UCF coach's death
