Robert Clardy will be entering his 10th season (2024-25) as the Head Football Coach and his 18th season overall on the Bearcats Football coaching staff.
Last season, he led the team to their first win over a ranked opponent defeating #21 Truman State 20-17. The game winner came from now senior kicker Logan Turner, who earned four All-American awards in 2023. Clardy has now coached 11 All-American Awards in his 10 seasons at the helm. Coach Clardy became the winningest coach in SBU football history on September 3rd, 2022 with a 44-17 win over University of Texas Permian-Basin. He now has tallied 37 wins across his career.
Coach Clardy took back over the offensive play calling duties for the Bearcats in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, his first time in that role since 2012. The 2021 Bearcat offense was one of the top passing offenses in the country. Leading the GLVC in every passing category, the offense set numerous SBU and conference records. Coach Clardy coached 2x All-GLVC Offensive Player of the Year and All-Conference quarterback junior Cooper Callis to lead the country in total offense (340.8 yards per game) and completion percentage (69.2%). Callis was also named the GLVC Scholar Athlete of the Year for his excellence on the field and in the classroom, the first award ever for an SBU student-athlete. D2football.com named Cooper to the Elite 100 team, highlighting the top 100 players in Division II football. The Bearcat football team finished with a winning record (6-5), for the first time since 2016.
In 2016, Coach Clardy earned GLVC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Bearcats to their first ever conference title and NCAA National Playoff appearance after finishing the season 10-2 (7-1 GLVC). Clardy's Bearcats were ranked as high as 15th in the NCAA Division II AFCA poll, finishing 22nd in the final NCAA Division II AFCA poll, while earning their first ever regional and national rankings. SBU broke 13 team records and 15 individual records, including most wins and conference wins in a single season, while also recording a record 19 All-GLVC and 10 All-Region honorees. The Bearcats had 3 All-American's and finished with the 10th best total offense in the NCAA Division II.
In 2015, Clardy led the Bearcats to a 4-6 record (3-5 GLVC) which was good for a 7th place finish in the conference as the interim-head coach. He guided 14 players to All-GLVC awards including two 1st teamers in Antion McBee and Bubba Jenkins. He also helped QB Trent Edwards earn the GLVC Freshman of the Year award. In addition, McBee was also named a D2CCA and D2Football.com 2nd Team All-American at defensive back. As a team, SBU was second in the GLVC in scoring offense and third in total offense under Clardy's leadership.
In 2014, Clardy coached his first All-American athlete at the wide receiver position in Nathan Mourik. Mourik had a record-setting year, claiming the GLVC single-season record for receiving yards, and also numerous SBU single-season records. Since taking over the wide receivers coaching position, Clardy has had four different receivers earn All-MIAA or All-GLVC honors.
In 2013, Clardy was promoted to Assistant Head Coach/ Wide Receivers coach and helped lead Derwyn Lauderdale to an 1000+ yard receiving season. From 2011-2012, Clardy was the Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks coach at SBU producing two All-MIAA players and one Division II Senior Bowl selection. As the Quarterbacks coach from 2008-10, Robert assisted in producing one of the most prolific offenses in Division II football. SBU's offense broke several NCAA records while Clardy was coaching quarterback Steve Gachette. Gachette rewrote the SBU record books while breaking four Division II records and finishing his career 7th all-time among all NCAA divisions in total offense with 15,235 yards.
In 2008, Clardy graduated from Southwest Baptist with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation. During his time as a student, he played quarterback for the Bearcats football team. He led the team in total passing and offensive yards for three consecutive seasons and led the team in rushing and scoring for two. He ranks in the Top 3 for total offensive yards and pass completion percentage and holds the school’s career record for pass completion percentage. Clardy finished his career ranked 7th all-time in the MIAA conference in total offense.
Robert Clardy currently resides in Bolivar, Missouri with his wife Krysten (a 2009 SBU graduate and All-MIAA soccer player for the Bearcats), their two daughters, Addyson and Brooklynn, and son Lawson.
