Ernie Clark is in his fifth season at Ashland University, and his second as associate head coach.

Clark's sprints/hurdles/relays crew was instrumental in the Eagle men's first two NCAA Division II team national championships in 2019. Three national championships came from his mentees - senior Myles Pringle in the men's 400-meter dash twice, sophomore Trevor Bassitt in the men's 400 hurdles outdoors.

Clark was named both U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II Men's Outdoor National Assistant Coach of the Year and Midwest Region Men's Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

In his first four seasons, Clark's charges have earned 14 individual and five relay All-American honors, with eight of those being national champions. In addition, Pringle was an outdoor USA Championships finalist in the 400, and Bassitt was an outdoor USA Championships semifinalist in the 400 hurdles.

The 2017-18 campaign was a breakout one for Clark and the Eagle sprints/hurdles program. Clark was named both USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Men's Outdoor National Assistant Coach of the Year and Midwest Region Men's Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year, and his group earned three D-II national championships - junior Myles Pringle in the men's 400-meter dash both indoors and outdoors, and Pringle and freshmen Channing Phillips, Trevor Bassitt and T.J. Elliott in the men's 4x400 relay outdoors.

In 2016-17, Clark guided Pringle to a pair of NCAA Division II national championships - the 400-meter dash both indoors and outdoors. Clark was named Midwest Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year outdoors by the USTFCCCA.

Clark came to AU following 15 years of coaching at various levels in the state of Indiana. Most recently, he was camp coordinator and hurdle coach for four years at the Indy Hurdle Camp in Bloomington, as well as camp coordinator for the Indiana Track & Field Camp, a volunteer sprints and hurdles coach for the Hoosiers, club coach and coordinator at Elite Hurdle Club in Bloomington and hurdle coach for the Indiana Track Club in Bloomington.

Clark also has served as jumps coach at the University of Indianapolis (2014), head boys track and field coach at Bloomington High School North (2009-10 and 2012-14) and Columbus North High School (2011-12), assistant boys and girls track and field coach at Bloomington North (2002-08) and head boys track and field coach at Monrovia High School (2000-01).

Among Clark’s coaching highlights are an NCAA regional qualifier, a USATF Junior national competitor, 13 individual New Balance national competitors, one state champion, 19 individual state medalists, four state team relay medalists, 65 individual state qualifiers and 29 sprint relay state qualifiers.

Clark earned a Bachelor of Science from Indianapolis in 2000, and a Master of Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2010. On the track for the Greyhounds, he was a two-time Division II national provisional qualifier in the 400 hurdles, and the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year.