'Maximum effort': A conversation with Ralph Clark
4/22/2025 12:31:00 PM | Football
There are new voices, new schemes, and new leadership on both sides of the ball for the Millersville University football program entering the 2025 season. Head coach J.C. Morgan named Brian Ferguson as offensive coordinator and Ralph Clark as defensive coordinator in the offseason, and both new coordinators have led their respective units through spring practices. With the annual spring game set for Saturday, April 26 at 11 a.m., at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium, Millersville Athletic Communications sat down for a conversation with both coordinators to give Marauder fans insight into the new coaches' backgrounds, philosophies and coaching styles.
Clark is no stranger to Millersville. He spent the 2024 season working with the team's defensive backs, and it is his second stint as the program's defensive coordinator. He was on the Millersville staff from 2013-2015, serving as the DC the final two seasons before moving on to be the DC at Seton Hill and the head coach at Alvernia. Clark's two seasons as Millersville's DC were highlighted by a strong pass defense that was opportunistic, intercepting 21 passes.
It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since you were the defensive coordinator at Millersville the first time. In that time, how have you changed as a coach?
Ralph Clark (RC): There is the same intensity, but there is a little more patience now. That comes with time and age. Schematically, you are always growing, learning and picking things up. I coached both sides of the ball during that time, so there have been some things thrown out and some new concepts that have come in that will help us. Rather than saying, 'This is our system,' I now coach to fit the kids. We are able to fit to the guys we have. That flexibility is definitely different for me.
While you are more flexible and the defense is more adaptable, do you have some non-negotiables with the defense?
RC: The first thing we talk about is the standard. Everyone says, 'The standard is the standard,' but no one ever tells you what the standard is. The first thing is that everyone is accountable to the program in our preparation, academics, socially, and to the campus. When we come into the building, we are always giving maximum effort. I'm a huge fan of Lou Holtz. He had this saying, 'Can I trust you? Do you love me? Are you committed? I believe that. Trust is the foundation of every relationship. You have to have to have trust, genuine care for each other, and you have to be committed. Regardless of where we are, there has to be a commitment to all parts of the game.
As you put your fingerprints on the defense, what will be some of the differences that we see?
RC: You are still going to see the odd front, and actually more of the odd front because it allows us to be more multiple. When I was here before, it was either all-out pressure or nothing. Now, it's more versatile. Sometimes there's an illusion of pressure, simulated pressures. And then there's the packaging OF the guys we have. In week one, we might see one package of guys and then you might not see that again until week three or four based on who we are playing and what we have to defend.
What is the key to having a successful defense in the PSAC?
RC: I don't think having success in the PSAC is different from anywhere else. You have to have a strong foundation. You have to have great teachers to teach the core. When all else fails, you have to be able to go back to the foundation. The teams that are excelling right now are able to play their base defense very well. With the strong teaching we have right now we are taking strong steps in that direction. It is a brand new system, but we have to have a strong foundation.
How much of the new system can you teach during spring ball?
RC: Times have changed. When I was playing, there were these thick playbooks that were like a novel you had to memorize. Now, you have to fit the information that the players need to receive into short windows of time. You are lucky if you get 15 minutes of strong attention. The amount of install is scaled back a bit, but we are able to put in what we need. We've done a good job identifying the athletes that we have, putting them in the right positions and teaching them what they need to be effective right now. We also understand that right now is not September 4.
You were on the staff last season and know the players in the locker room. Now as the defensive coordinator, what are some things that you can build upon?
RC: I have a lot of respect for (former defensive coordinator) Matt Sutjak. He's an outstanding coach and human being. I'm different (as a coach). Looking at last season, I want to identify the skills and limitations of our players. You might have a kid who can be a really good football player if… We want to take that 'if' off that statement and figure out, as coaches, how to take away that deficiency and put him in a position to succeed. I'll just be moving pieces around, taking what we have and accentuating their skill sets. I'm a hard-nosed, straight-forward person. Our kids have responded to that. That might not be the case next spring because every team is different. Last year, we didn't do a great job of finishing. We played really well in spots, but we have to stress consistency. 'Here's what it looked like when we were successful, and here's what it looked like when we weren't.'
What are your biggest takeaways from spring practices so far?
RC: We have a group of guys who want to compete. They really do want to be successful. They are hungry to learn. Our offices are constantly flooded with players stopping in with players saying, 'Coach, do you have 10 minutes?' 'Coach, do you have an extra hour to watch film?' You want to oblige those guys. That tells you that they are hungry and bought in. That's the great thing about our locker room right now. They are committed to improving.
You've been friends with J.C. for a long time. What is that dynamic like when you are coaching together?
RC: He's the head coach. Everyone knows that to me, he's my little brother. I'm committed to his success. His success is our success. We are family as far as I'm concerned and hopefully that rubs off on the staff and on the locker room. He and I are built very similarly. This is business. We don't take things personally. If he rips me, I'm old enough and accountable enough to look inside and hear that message. I've been doing this for 30 years, and there is nothing that hasn't been said to me. Because we have that relationship, anything that is said, I know it's because it needs to be better.
Clark is no stranger to Millersville. He spent the 2024 season working with the team's defensive backs, and it is his second stint as the program's defensive coordinator. He was on the Millersville staff from 2013-2015, serving as the DC the final two seasons before moving on to be the DC at Seton Hill and the head coach at Alvernia. Clark's two seasons as Millersville's DC were highlighted by a strong pass defense that was opportunistic, intercepting 21 passes.
It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since you were the defensive coordinator at Millersville the first time. In that time, how have you changed as a coach?
Ralph Clark (RC): There is the same intensity, but there is a little more patience now. That comes with time and age. Schematically, you are always growing, learning and picking things up. I coached both sides of the ball during that time, so there have been some things thrown out and some new concepts that have come in that will help us. Rather than saying, 'This is our system,' I now coach to fit the kids. We are able to fit to the guys we have. That flexibility is definitely different for me.
While you are more flexible and the defense is more adaptable, do you have some non-negotiables with the defense?
RC: The first thing we talk about is the standard. Everyone says, 'The standard is the standard,' but no one ever tells you what the standard is. The first thing is that everyone is accountable to the program in our preparation, academics, socially, and to the campus. When we come into the building, we are always giving maximum effort. I'm a huge fan of Lou Holtz. He had this saying, 'Can I trust you? Do you love me? Are you committed? I believe that. Trust is the foundation of every relationship. You have to have to have trust, genuine care for each other, and you have to be committed. Regardless of where we are, there has to be a commitment to all parts of the game.
As you put your fingerprints on the defense, what will be some of the differences that we see?
RC: You are still going to see the odd front, and actually more of the odd front because it allows us to be more multiple. When I was here before, it was either all-out pressure or nothing. Now, it's more versatile. Sometimes there's an illusion of pressure, simulated pressures. And then there's the packaging OF the guys we have. In week one, we might see one package of guys and then you might not see that again until week three or four based on who we are playing and what we have to defend.
What is the key to having a successful defense in the PSAC?
RC: I don't think having success in the PSAC is different from anywhere else. You have to have a strong foundation. You have to have great teachers to teach the core. When all else fails, you have to be able to go back to the foundation. The teams that are excelling right now are able to play their base defense very well. With the strong teaching we have right now we are taking strong steps in that direction. It is a brand new system, but we have to have a strong foundation.
How much of the new system can you teach during spring ball?
RC: Times have changed. When I was playing, there were these thick playbooks that were like a novel you had to memorize. Now, you have to fit the information that the players need to receive into short windows of time. You are lucky if you get 15 minutes of strong attention. The amount of install is scaled back a bit, but we are able to put in what we need. We've done a good job identifying the athletes that we have, putting them in the right positions and teaching them what they need to be effective right now. We also understand that right now is not September 4.
You were on the staff last season and know the players in the locker room. Now as the defensive coordinator, what are some things that you can build upon?
RC: I have a lot of respect for (former defensive coordinator) Matt Sutjak. He's an outstanding coach and human being. I'm different (as a coach). Looking at last season, I want to identify the skills and limitations of our players. You might have a kid who can be a really good football player if… We want to take that 'if' off that statement and figure out, as coaches, how to take away that deficiency and put him in a position to succeed. I'll just be moving pieces around, taking what we have and accentuating their skill sets. I'm a hard-nosed, straight-forward person. Our kids have responded to that. That might not be the case next spring because every team is different. Last year, we didn't do a great job of finishing. We played really well in spots, but we have to stress consistency. 'Here's what it looked like when we were successful, and here's what it looked like when we weren't.'
What are your biggest takeaways from spring practices so far?
RC: We have a group of guys who want to compete. They really do want to be successful. They are hungry to learn. Our offices are constantly flooded with players stopping in with players saying, 'Coach, do you have 10 minutes?' 'Coach, do you have an extra hour to watch film?' You want to oblige those guys. That tells you that they are hungry and bought in. That's the great thing about our locker room right now. They are committed to improving.
You've been friends with J.C. for a long time. What is that dynamic like when you are coaching together?
RC: He's the head coach. Everyone knows that to me, he's my little brother. I'm committed to his success. His success is our success. We are family as far as I'm concerned and hopefully that rubs off on the staff and on the locker room. He and I are built very similarly. This is business. We don't take things personally. If he rips me, I'm old enough and accountable enough to look inside and hear that message. I've been doing this for 30 years, and there is nothing that hasn't been said to me. Because we have that relationship, anything that is said, I know it's because it needs to be better.
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