A Notre Dame coaching legend is hanging up the whistle.
Irish men’s soccer coach Bobby Clark announced his retirement this week after 17 years at Notre Dame and 31 years coaching collegiate men’s soccer.
“I just finished telling our team that this, my 17th season at Notre Dame, will be my last,” said Clark in a statement published by Notre Dame. “This has been possibly the hardest decision I have had to make in my time at Notre Dame. I have loved my time at this University and, although I have kept postponing retirement, with my 73rd birthday coming up next year I felt it was time to be in a position to spend quality time with Bette, my wife of almost 50 years, my children and importantly my seven grandchildren. I have always looked at my team as extended family, so the players will be greatly missed. If I stretch my collegiate coaching career back to when I began at Dartmouth back in 1985 then I really do have a lot of extended family.
During his tenure as the head coach of the Irish, Clarke won 216 games, led his teams to the NCAA tournament 16 of his 17 years, and led his team to the 2013 NCAA title.
After 17 years & leading us to the 2013 National Championship, Bobby Clark says goodbye to the dear lads of @NDMenSoccer.
Thank you, “Boss”
RELEASE: https://t.co/P5qXVNjpPz pic.twitter.com/WjovqAJUgY
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) November 28, 2017
