Doug Clark is in his 21st year as Director of Sailing and head sailing coach at the Coast Guard Academy.
Clark took over the program in January 2005 and was tasked with leading the Academies sailing program back to national prominence, which he has delivered on in spades. Clark has turned the sailing program into one of the highest performing teams in the country on a regular basis. He has led the Bears to unprecedented success in every discipline in college sailing during his tenure. Clark's teams are perennially ranked in the top 20 in the nation, have qualified for National Championships every year for the last decade. The team has numerous top three national champions finishes and 30 cadets have received All-American honors. Clark has led the Coast Guard Academy sailing program to three national championship titles.
Prior to coming to the Academy, Clark was the Director of Sailing and head sailing coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy for ten years. He led the program to their first national title in over a decade in his first year and won six national championships while leading the Mariners. Clark began his coaching career at the Naval Academy where he spent nine years as the lead assistant coach. The Navy sailing team was the most successful program in the country during that period (1986-1995), something that has not been repeated in college sailing since.
Clark is one of the most successful coaches in college sailing history. He has led three separate programs (CGA, USMMA, USNA) to 23 National Championships, 120 individual All-American honors and 7 college sailors of the year awardees.
Clark is a 1986 graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration. He was a sailing team captain his senior year and was twice named to the All-American team while leading the Rams to a #1 National ranking his senior year. Clark was inducted into the URI Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
Clark is active competing in sailing on the national and international level. He has won three national championships in different disciplines and has finished in the top 10 in four International One Design World Championships. In 2022, Clark and his team won the VX One Midwinters and the North American Championship.
Clark received the Department of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award for his participation in the USMMA waterborne assistance operation in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks of September 11th.
(updated Nov. 2025)
