NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt soccer head coach Darren Ambrose announced Monday the hiring of Jennie Clark as assistant coach to fill out the rest of his staff ahead of the 2025 campaign.
“We were very intentional in searching for who we wanted in this role and Jennie was a great fit,” said Ambrose. “She has an experienced background, playing both collegiately and professionally. She has filled various coaching roles at both levels and is committed to not only developing individual players but also exceptional young women. Her beliefs and values are a perfect complement to our program and I am very excited that she will be a part of this amazing staff.”
Clark, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Northwestern, has earned a B license and a scouting license through the US Soccer Federation.
“I could not be more excited about joining the Vanderbilt women’s soccer program,” said Clark. “The team has an impressive history, incredible potential for future success and I am honored for the opportunity to contribute. I look forward to working alongside an experienced coaching staff and a competitive group of players to reach the program’s goals and elevate Vanderbilt’s standards.”
Prior to her time with the Wildcats, Clark served as the first assistant coach for Minnesota Aurora FC, helping lead the squad to a perfect regular season and berth in the quarterfinals of the USL W League playoffs. Before joining the pros, Clark was an assistant at Utah Tech for two seasons, helping the program transition from Division II to Division I while coaching seven All-Western Athletic Conference honorees during her stint.
The Norwalk, Iowa, native played professionally for five years, starting her career as a free agent with Sky Blue FC, currently known as Gotham FC. Following her rookie season with Sky Blue, Clark moved to Germany, where she played for 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig, SC Freiburg, and 1. FFC Frankfurt in the Frauen-Bundesliga.
A four-year starter at Minnesota, the two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree was a mainstay on the Golden Gophers’ back line and helped the team’s defense set school records during a 2008 season that saw Minnesota reach the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Minnesota’s defense produced 17 shutouts and allowed just 12 goals during that season while Clark earned SoccerBuzz fourth-team All-American honors and the first of two all-district awards.
A Hermann Trophy candidate as a senior, Clark started 66 straight games for Minnesota before suffering an injury early in the 2010 season. Clark returned to the pitch less than six weeks later and helped the Golden Gophers reach the Sweet 16 for the second time in her career. In her four years with the program, the Minnesota defense posted 41 shutouts and allowed less than 20 goals in three of her four seasons.
