Clarksville High hires Charles Clark to lead boys basketball program

Clarksville High has hired Clarksville Academy girls coach Charles Clark to replace Ted Young as its boys basketball coach. FILE/JOEL CLINGER Clarksville High has hired Clarksville Academy girls coach Charles Clark to replace Ted Young as its boys basketball coach, Wildcats athletic director Shannon Cummings announced in a press release. “It’s always been Clarksville for me,” Clark said. “I played for him (Young) and played for the program. And since I’ve been coaching, (I’ve) had a chance to coach with him and coaching the program. And for me, it was just a dream come true opportunity and it was nothing against Clarksville Academy. “It was hard to leave. You say yes to Clarksville quickly, but it’s been difficult just because of the things we’ve tried to accomplish here.” Clark has coached Clarksville Academy for the last six seasons after serving as a coach in some capacity at Kenwood, Rossview, Houston County and Clarksville High. He was an assistant for former Rossview coach Fred Harper and assisted Young when the Wildcats advanced to the Class AAA state championship game in 2007. Clark replaces Young who spent 27 seasons leading the Wildcats. Young led Clarksville to 10 district titles, eight region championships and six state tournament appearances. Clark led Clarksville Academy to a 107-65 record over his six seasons with the Cougars. “I’m definitely not going to try to be Ted Young. I’m not him,” Clark said. “We’ve tried to develop our own different identity. Obviously things that I’ve learned playing for Clarksville High will be some things that we’re going to apply, but we’re not going to try to do a copycat system. “You can’t do it. He’s accomplished things that people don’t do. But the program is the program and even he would tell you before he came, it’s a program for the people.”