He attended USC, where he played as a guard on the football team under coach Jeff Cravath in 1942 before entering the military during World War II.

Playing alongside teammates including John Ferraro and Paul Salata, he returned to USC for the 1946 and 1947 seasons, and was captain of the latter team which lost the 1948 Rose Bowl to Michigan.

When Hill became USC's athletic director in 1957, Clark succeeded him as head coach on the recommendation of players including Jon Arnett.

[1] USC posted a 1–9 record in his first season, their worst mark since 1901, but improved to 4–5–1 in 1958; Clark recruited talented players such as Marlin and Mike McKeever, and also brought in a number of excellent assistant coaches, including highly popular Marv Goux.

A resident of Fountain Valley, Clark died in Huntington Beach, California at age 65 after suffering a heart attack while jogging.