The search for the next head basketball coach at Clark University is narrowing as the hiring process enters its final stage. Multiple sources indicate that the institution has completed interviews with a group of candidates to lead the Division III program in Worcester, Massachusetts. This hire fills the vacancy created when former head coach Tyler Simms departed for an assistant position at Bucknell earlier this summer after seven seasons at the helm.
Among the names surfacing in the final considerations are three assistant coaches with significant experience across the college basketball landscape. Matt Graves is currently an assistant at UMass Lowell and maintains institutional familiarity as a former assistant at Clark. He also holds previous coaching experience from Mount St. Mary’s, Belmont Abbey, and McDaniel.
Chris Lydon brings recent local experience to the mix, having served as the associate head coach at Tufts University for the last three years. Lydon’s resume includes stops at Suffolk and Wheaton, along with his collegiate playing history at UMass. The third confirmed name is Mike Mailhot, who arrives with a seven-year tenure as an assistant at the University of Chicago. Mailhot has additional experience at Muhlenberg and Nichols and played collegiately at Emmanuel.
Reports suggest that while these three names are confirmed, there are additional candidates involved in the search process. Sources mention two current head coaches who interviewed for the position, including one coach currently operating within the New England Division III circuit and another with historical connections to the Clark basketball program. With interviews concluded, a final decision regarding the leadership of the Cougars is expected in the immediate future.