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Former Sidney Coach Tom Clark
guides Edison basketball; He’ll continue emphasis on recruiting quality student-athletes
 Tom Clark, who held the boys’ basketball coaching position at Sidney High School for the last eleven years, is the new men’s basketball coach at Edison Community College.
Citing the Edison job as “a different challenge which offers him a fresh start,” Clark said he is looking forward to the new coaching assignment.
This position opened when University of Dayton graduate Chip Hare, the Edison coach for the last two seasons, decided to devote time to pursuing a master’s degree. Hare maintained his full-time administrative post in Edison’s student development office.
Clark has totaled 26 years of coaching at the high school level. He stepped away from the Sidney coaching job several weeks ago.
The Sidney resident will continue his instructional position at the high school-- teaching students who, for various reasons, are developmentally challenged. He holds a master’s degree from Wright State University in special education.
Clark said he will pick up the Edison program where Hare left off, recruiting good student-athletes from the upper Miami Valley.
“The combination of a high quality education and
an affordable tuition makes Edison attractive,” Clark said.
“At the same time, the local community college provides an opportunity for good high school basketball talent in the region to continue their participation in the sport.”
He pointed out that high schools in west central Ohio will produce numerous highly skilled players and college prospects over the next few years.
But Clark emphasized, “Edison’s basketball players must be students first. Performance off the court is more important than on the court.”
Clark is especially proud to note that his last 36 varsity players at Sidney High School were honor roll students.
Hare’s Edison teams over the last two years produced four national junior college Academic All-Americans. His squads also generated a first team all-conference player and a first team, all-region player.
“We’ll play 94 feet of offense and defense,” Clark noted, describing his coaching philosophy. “The offense is based on plenty of three-point shooting.”
Clark said that he is anxious to make his style of coaching work at the collegiate level.
Record books at the Ohio High School Athletic Association show that Clark’s teams at Sidney lit up the scoreboard for five of the eleven highest scoring games in
the last 80 years.
Clark coached the 1999-2000 Sidney High school team to a league championship. He led the 1998-1999 team to the district finals.
Since 1995, Clark has directed Edison’s summer basketball league for college players. He also coordinates Edison’s spring high school program, which has been in place for two years.
Clark begins the Edison coaching position immediately by getting involved in the recruiting process, which includes helping the future college students plan their courses of study.
Most of Edison’s basketball players in the past have forwarded their credits to four-year institutions, where they have pursued bachelor’s degrees. Some have played basketball at four-year schools.
June 18, 2002
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