Wisconsin men's rowing coach Chris Clark is not just an average coach. Since being named head coach in 1996, he has brought the program to national prominence. Before he became a coach, Clark was one of the nation's top rowers.
The Daily Cardinal: When did you begin rowing competitively?
Chris Clark: I picked it up in college. My dad actually heard about it. He thought because I was tall that I should give it a shot. A lot of people don't know that, but rowing teams benefit from tall people. I mean we are always trying to track people down in the registration line and they are always the tall ones. So it was my dad really got me started.
DC: What was the highlight of your rowing career?
CC: I rowed in a couple championships like the Pan-Am games, and I did well in college. But wow, highlights, I don't know. The lowlight was definitely not making the 1984 Olympic Team. What was bad was most of my friends made it, and I was from Southern California, and that was where they were hosted, so that is what I remember the most.
DC: Where did you row?
CC: I graduated from Berkeley, but I went to a community college of all places-the only one that has rowing-and that is where I started. I transferred to Stanford but didn't like it and so I transferred to Berkeley-which was considered a no-no-but I did it anyway. Stanford at the time reminded me of a glorified high school. I know it sounds crazy, but it was like 20 years ago.
DC: It's a good thing Berkeley worked out. After already leaving Stanford in your wake, the only place left to go from there would have been, I don't know, Harvard?
CC: Yeah, it's funny because once you get into a place like Stanford, you will keep getting into wherever you go after that because admissions figures, 'Well, if he's smart enough to get into Stanford, he must be smart enough to get in here.' I have no idea how I got in, seriously. Whatever the reason I got in though, I truly thank [the dean]. I have since met him, and the legend was that he remembered everyone he ever admitted, but he didn't remember me. Maybe he wanted to forget about me, I don't know.
DC: What do you do when you are not coaching?
CC: I have two little kids, so of course I have to say I enjoy being with them. Aside from that, though, I grew up surfing. I really enjoy it, but I haven't surfed since '92 when I started coaching. Unlike rowing, you can be not particularly good and still have a good time. Rowing is like wrestling or some others sports in that it is satisfying only when you are good at it, but fun is not the word for it.
DC: Let's get back to business. What are your thoughts on this year's team?
CC: Well, we lost a lot of guys from last year, so this year we have a pretty equal team. I mean from No. 2 down to No. 16 or 17, we have a lot of friendly competition for spots on the team. It is becoming extremely competitive between the two top eights, which is good. Everybody is fighting it out, which usually makes for a pretty fast team, as is the case right now.
DC: Do you think the competition from within is the main reason for your success thus far?
CC: Honestly, I could tell you if we had that last year, I think we could have won. As good as Harvard was, we really could have won. Of course we had our top six guys and that was it, but below that nobody pushed them at all. That is a major improvement this year, even though there is less raw talent.
DC: What goals do you have for the program?
CC: At the very least be in the finals-you pretty much have to be a finalist. If you're not a finalist, you have no chance to do anything. It is a little different than other sports around here in that respect.
DC: So it is almost like a battle for relevance?
CC: Yes, because you don't hear the hockey team saying 'We've just got to get to the Frozen Four.' In rowing, as I said, if you don't get to finals you really can't accomplish anything. The way the draw works, which is actually kind of complicated, sometimes you need a little luck. We're in the position now that we wouldn't mind a few breaks where we can get them, and we will just try to work from there.
