Joe Clarke

Infobox Football biography
playername= Joe Clarke
fullname = Joe Clarke
nickname =


dateofbirth =
cityofbirth = St. Louis, Missouri
countryofbirth = United States
height =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Defender
youthyears = 1972-1975
youthclubs = St. Louis University
years = 1976-1977
1978-1981
1981-1982
1982-1986
clubs = St Louis Stars
California Surf
St. Louis Steamers (indoor)
St. Louis Kutis
caps(goals) = 30 (0)
82 (1)
manageryears = 1983-1996
1997-
managerclubs = Saint Louis University
Washington University in St. Louis
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Joe “Joey” Clarke is a former U.S. soccer defender who currently coaches collegiate soccer at Washington University in St. Louis. Clarke spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League and one in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He has coached men’s collegiate soccer since 1981.

Youth and college

Clarke grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and began playing soccer as a youth at St. Thomas Moore Elementary School. He attended McBride High School, but when the school closed between his junior and senior year, he moved to Normandy Senior High School, graduating in 1972. ^{[http://record.wustl.edu/archive/2001/11-30-01/people.html]}

Following his graduation from high school, Clarke entered St. Louis University where he played on the Billiken’s soccer team from 1972 to 1975. At the time, St. Louis was the dominant college soccer team. The Billikens won the 1972 and 1973 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship, falling to Howard University in the 1974 final. In 1975, Clarke’s senior season, he earned third team All American recognition. He graduated with a bachelors degree in marketing in 1976.

NASL

In 1976, the St. Louis Stars of the North American Soccer League (NASL) drafted Clarke. While he signed with them, he continued to work on his degree during the first part of the 1976 season. Even after graduating, Clarke continued with his education while playing for the Stars, enrolling in St. Louis University’s law school. In 1977, the Stars were sold to new ownership and moved to Anaheim where the team became known as the California Surf. When the Surf folded after the 1981 season, the team sold Clarke’s contract to the St. Louis Steamers of Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Steamers Coach, Al Trost, released him before the end of the 1981-1982 season.

Following his release by the Steamers, he joined the semi-pro St. Louis Kutis S.C. in 1982 and played with them until 1986. In 1986, Kutis won the U.S. Open Cup championship.

Coaching

When the Stars moved to California, Clarke was in the middle of earning his law degree. However, he completed his degree after transferring to [Pepperdine University] , where he meet and married his first wife Susan. They had 2 children, Joey, Jr. and Kelley, both of whom played soccer at Parkway Central High in Chesterfield MO. He is currently married to Cindy Jensen. When the Steamers released him, Clarke decided to retire from playing professionally and pursue a legal career. While interviewing with law firms in St. Louis, Clarke heard about the retirement of Harry Keough, head soccer coach at St. Louis University. Despite his lack of coaching experience, the university hired Clarke in 1982. During his fourteen seasons coaching the Billikens, Clarke compiled a 205-74-30 record, taking the team to the NCAA tournament twelve times.

On May 9, 1997, Clarke moved to Division III >Washington University in St. Louis, replacing Ty Keough, Harry Keough’s son. ^{[http://record.wustl.edu/archive/1997/06-12-97/7600.html]} He remains head coach at Washington University.

Clarke was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007

External links

* [http://bearsports.wustl.edu/menssoccer/menssoccercoach.html Washington University profile]
* [http://record.wustl.edu/archive/2001/11-30-01/people.html Excellent career overview]
* [http://eteamz.active.com/stlsoccerhalloffame/news/ St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame profile]