STARKVILLE, MS − Joey Aguilar likely wouldn’t be the Tennessee football quarterback if not for his two seasons at Appalachian State.
Aguilar definitely would not have been the Mountaineers quarterback if not for former Appalachian State coach Shawn Clark, who died on Sept. 21 at the age of 50.
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“He gave me an opportunity to get out of JUCO and gave me a shot at App State,” Aguilar said Sept. 27 after the Vols beat Mississippi State. “This week was really hard on me with coach Clark. Man, I just appreciate him a lot for allowing me the opportunity and I am just praying for his family. Coach Clark means a lot.”
UCF announced on Sept. 22 that Clark had died unexpectedly after being hospitalized on Sept. 9 following a medical emergency. He had been in the hospital since, but UCF said he had been in stable condition until he passed away on Sept. 21.
Clark coached at Appalachian State, his alma mater, from 2019 through 2024 and went 40-24. He was fired following a 5-6 season in 2024 and landed as the offensive line coach at UCF.
Clark was the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Mountaineers before becoming the head coach. He was a two-time All-American and a three-time all-conference choice while playing at Appalachian State from 1994-98.
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Clark recruited Aguilar to Boone, North Carolina, after two seasons at Diablo Valley Community College in California.
Aguilar passed for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns in two seasons at Appalachian State.
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The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Aguilar tore it up at Appalachian State quickly, setting records in his first season in 2023. He threw 33 touchdown passes, had 3,757 passing yards and totaled 4,002 yards of total offense, all three of which set school records. He was the 2023 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
Aguilar has excelled with the Vols after an unorthodox entrance the program. He left UCLA when the Bruins welcomed former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava as a transfer in April. Aguilar had transferred months prior from Appalachian State but opted to transfer again, essentially being in a quarterback trade between UCLA and UT.
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He was 24-for-40 passing for 335 yards and a touchdown as No. 15 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) won 41-34 in overtime against Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1). He also rushed for a touchdown to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
Aguilar has completed 65% of his passes for 13 touchdowns with five interceptions.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Joey Aguilar: Tennessee quarterback on late coach Shawn Clark
