Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Bob Clarke said he wasn't looking to leave his position as Bow High School's offensive coordinator until he stumbled upon what he considers to be the perfect job.

Clarke, who had been an assistant football coach at the high school level since 1976, landed his first varsity head coaching position last month, when he was picked to replace Bill Raycraft as John Stark's head coach. Raycraft, John Stark's first head coach, accepted a job as football coach and athletic director at Windham High School.

"I would still be (at Bow) if I did not get this job," Clarke explained. "I had a sense of loyalty to Paul (Bow coach Paul Cohen) and I was happy there. Nothing against any other school, but if the job had not opened up at John Stark I would not be a head coach."

Clarke, a 55-year-old Henniker resident, teaches technology education at John Stark, and said being a teacher at the school is one of the reasons the John Stark job was so appealing.

"I really wanted to coach with Bill at John Stark," Clarke said. "His office was close to my classroom and we used to talk football a lot between periods. When he told me he was taking another position I had to come home and think about whether or not I wanted to be a head coach. I was happy doing what I was doing."

Clarke was Bow's offensive coordinator for seven seasons. He also spent 14 years as an assistant coach at Newport High School and was on Herb Hatch's staff for the 1995 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.

Clarke was introduced to his team on June 16 and said he expects the transition to a new head coach to be smooth.

"All of Bill's assistants have expressed a desire to stay on," Clarke said. "I'm more of a Wing-T man than the Double-Wing, which was what Bill ran, but the offenses are similar."

When New Hampshire expanded from five to six divisions after the 2007 season John Stark was placed in Division IV by enrollment, but the school petitiioned up to remain in Division III. Clarke said the move was the correct one and that John Stark should be able to compete at the Division III level.

"This is my first time being a head coach, but I have some high hopes," Clarke said. "I'm hoping to have a good season with the kids, and I'm hoping to build on the tradition Bill started at John Stark."