Austin Clark

Austin Clark enters his first season with the Dolphins after being named outside linebackers coach on Jan. 20, 2020.

Clark spent the past two seasons (2018-19) as the defensive line coach at the University of Illinois.

In 2019, Clark helped Illinois to its first bowl game in more than five years as the Fighting Illini finished the regular season 6-6 and earned an invitation to the Redbox Bowl, their first bowl appearance since 2014. The team had several notable wins, including an upset of No. 6 Wisconsin and a come-from-behind victory over Michigan State after trailing by 24 points. It was the largest comeback in school history. Junior Oluwole Betiku Jr. played in just 10 games due to injury but recorded nine sacks, which was tied for seventh in the Big Ten and tied for seventh in school history. He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors despite missing the previous season with an injury.

Clark mentored defensive end Bobby Roundtree in 2018, who led the nation in pass breakups by a defensive linemen with seven. His 7.5 sacks that season ranked sixth in the Big Ten.

Prior to Illinois, Clark spent two seasons (2016-17) at Southern California, where he coached defensive linemen and outside linebackers.

In 2017, Clark and the Trojans won the Pac-12 Conference and posted 46 sacks, tied for the most in the nation. He tutored Uchenna Nwosu, who was a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft (48th overall to Los Angeles Chargers), along with Rasheem Green, who was a third-round pick (79th overall to Seattle). Both

players earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and finished in the top 15 nationally in sacks. Green had 10 (tied for 11th) while Nwosu had 9.5 (tied for 15th).

Another future NFL player that Clark mentored at USC was Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, who was selected in the seventh round (223rd overall) of the 2017 NFL draft by Tampa Bay. Tu'ikolovatu earned second-team AllPac-12 honors as a senior in 2016 and was named the Rose Bowl Game Defensive MVP after the Trojans won the Rose Bowl for the first time since Jan. 1, 2009.

Clark began his post-playing career as a recruiting assistant at his alma mater, California, in 2015, where he helped the team win the Armed Forces Bowl.

He spent six years (2009-14) at California as a defensive tackle, earning an additional year of eligibility due to injury. As a sixth-year senior in 2014, Clark started 11 games, earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition and won the Joe Roth Award, given annually by the school to a player who best exemplifies courage, sportsmanship and attitude.

Clark earned his bachelor's degree in American studies.

A Tampa native, Clark played prep football at Plant High School, where he helped his team win the 2008 state championship as a senior. He is engaged to his fiancée, Alyssa.