Football: Linebackers coach teaching from experience

When the Pitt football team goes up against the University of Miami on Sept. 23 this season, Bernard Clark will see a familiar face and logo on the opposite sideline… When the Pitt football team goes up against the University of Miami on Sept. 23 this season, Bernard Clark will see a familiar face and logo on the opposite sideline.

Clark, in his first season as the Panthers linebackers coach, will look across that sideline and see former Miami teammate and current Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon.

“It’s going to be very weird, probably as weird as when I was at FIU (Florida International University) and we played them I had to look across the field and got dressed in the visitors’ locker room, Clark said. “But it’ll be weird seeing Randy especially since we played side by side and now I’m seeing him across the field.”

It was at Miami where Clark first made a name for himself as a key contributor at linebacker on two national championship teams in 1987 and 1989.

He came up big in the 1988 Orange Bowl as well when he made 14 tackles on his way to being named the MVP of the game.

Now, Clark is hoping to bring that success to Pitt’s linebacker corps.

Coming to Pitt after serving most recently as the defensive coordinator at Hampton University, he instantly made an impression in spring practices with his intense demeanor and coaching style. He even showed the players how to do drills firsthand when he took on a blocking sled.

By taking these drills to the next level, Clark believes it makes an impression on the players.

“I think it’s important that if you’re asking a guy to do something, you have to be able to do it also,” Clark said. “When the players see that I think they understand what I’m talking about. I always tell them, if I’m 43 and can do it, you definitely should be able to do it.”

The Panther linebackers readily embraced Clark’s philosophies, and the fact that he played linebacker at the highest level himself, playing three seasons in the NFL, gives him instant credibility with his players.

“He played linebacker so it just helps you want to work harder too knowing that you have somebody that played your position and understands what you need to do to become a better player,” junior linebacker Greg Williams said.

Clark came in right away, sat his players down to look at film and pointed out things that each one can do to get better and one aspect he has been harping on is missed tackles.

“He pointed out a lot of missed tackles that I should’ve made, Williams said. “Even during practice he hates missed tackles and gets on us about everything.”

One of the biggest things that Clark believes breeds better players is competition. It’s the thing that he credits a lot of Miami’s success to when he was there when one great linebacker after another would step up when his predecessor left the team  like Winston Moss, Jessie Armstead, Dan Morgan and Ray Lewis just to name a few.

Now, Clark is hoping that the same type of competition breeds success at Pitt.

“It wasn’t just tradition, it was the competition level more than anything else,” Clark said of his time at Miami. “When you create a competition, that’s when you create great players. I think that’s what we’ve created here with our linebacker corps.”

The Panthers are set at two linebacker spots with sophomore Dan Mason and junior Max Gruder but neither one has shown any signs of complacency.

Williams is penciled in as the other starter for now, but is being pushed by fellow junior Tristan Roberts and other players like Shane Gordon, Carl Fleming, Manny Williams and Joe Trebitz provide strong competition as well.

“We have guys behind those starters that are going to push them, Clark said. “Guys are going to make sure they’re doing their best because if they don’t get it done, guys are going to step in.”

No matter who plays, one thing is for sure: Clark will have his players ready for the season opener against Utah.