Mid-American Conference announces partnership with Shawn Clark Legacy Foundation

The Mid-American Conference announced their new partnership with the Shawn Clark Legacy Foundation on Wednesday morning during MAC Media Day, becoming the first NCAA conference to do so.

"The well-being of our coaches and administrators deserves the same intentional attention that we rightly devote to our scholar-athletes," MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher said to the assembled press at Ford Field as part of his opening statement. "Partnerships like this remind us that people, not policies, will always be at the heart of the Mid-American Conference."

Over the years, the MAC has been at the forefront of advancing mental health awareness in the college sports landscape, hosting joint summits on student-athlete mental health as far back as 2016 and making "holistic healthcare of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and staff" a pillar value of the conference.

Prior to the league's newly-announced partnership, three MAC universities had already announced individual partnerships with the foundation, including Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Ohio.

The foundation, and its 61 Initiative, is named after former Appalachian State head coach Shawn Clark. Clark was a beloved figure in the coaching community, whose sudden passing from a medical emergency shocked the landscape. His family has since advocated across the country, speaking to coaches and administrators about the dangers of dismissing mental and physical health concerns.

The foundation aims to partner with NCAA universities and conferences to "shine a light on the physical and mental health challenges facing the coaching profession" through education, storytelling, and open dialogue to help coaches, staffs and families to recognize warning signs and help to break stigmas surrounding asking for help with mental and physical issues.

Jonelle Clark, Shawn's late wife and current leader of the Shawn Clark Legacy Foundation, was on-site in Detroit to speak to the conference's head coaches and administrators on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"We’re honored to partner with the Mid-American Conference in advancing our mission to support the physical and mental health of coaches," the foundation said via social media post Wednesday afternoon. "A heartfelt thank you to Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, the MAC athletic directors, and the incredible head football coaches for believing in our mission."

Several current MAC coaches were familiar with Clark, and hope to continue his legacy in their own work life.

Kent State head coach Mark Carney was an assistant at Charlotte from 2019-22, aligning with Clark's tenure at nearby Appalachian State, and knew him personally.

"Big time to hear Ms. Jonelle get up there and speak so passionately about, you know, Shawn and their family's journey in the last year," Carney told By The Belt on Wednesday. "Shawn was an O-line coach at Kent State University [from 2013-2015], and I've got to know him, spending some time in North Carolina when he was at App State. So great family, got great respect for her initiative and yeah, the Golden Flashes are all in."

Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor was complimentary to the efforts from both the league and the Clark family in advancing the partnership.

"[I'm] thankful for our commissioner making the pledge for all of us to make that step." Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor told By The Belt Wednesday. "I think one for me, I know Shawn Clark; he was not only a great coach, he's a great man. And you think about the legacy that he left behind, that's what we all want to do is make a positive impact."

"I think for coaches and for our staff, we need to put more of an emphasis on our health and safety," Taylor continued. "We do a great job with our student-athletes' health and safety and making sure that they have every resource that they need. And I think we need, as head coaches, we need to make sure that our staffs are taken care of in the same way."

Miami head coach Chuck Martin told By The Belt the program was gun-ho about supporting the foundation's efforts, with the assistant coaching staff pledging $61 each per month to the 61 Initiative. Martin estimates the RedHawks coaching staff will add around $7,000 per year to the $6,100 already promised at the "high-end level."

"It's a wonderful initiative," Martin told By The Belt. "Coach [Randy] Walker, who was the winningest coach in history in Miami, passed away of a heart attack at a young age [52]. So like us in Miami, kind of hits home to us. Coach Walker and Tammy Walker is still out there. And you know, so what [Mrs. Clark] is going through, like Miami's kind of lived it, you know. So it's pretty, pretty awesome that she wants to help, you know, God forbid it happens to anybody, but to help the families that are left behind."

More information about the foundation can be found on Facebook and X. Donations can be made directly to the foundation by following the link here.