Michael Clark, Head Coach
 Michael Clark begins his 14th season as head coach of the Bridgewater football program and his 29th year as a collegiate coach.
Born in Youngstown Ohio, Clark is from a football family. His father Joe Clark, whom he played high school football for at Cincinnati Indian Hill, is in the Ohio High School Hall of Fame in the state where he picked up 237 high school victories.
Coming off their eight straight winning season, the Eagles who have won more football games than any other college team in the state of Virginia are 79-16 in the 21st century. Under Clark's direction, BC has participated in 16 postseason games and has won two NCAA South Region Championships and five Old Dominion Atheltic Conference titles. The BC postseason experience peaked in 2001 when the Eagles finished thier best season in school history with a 12-1 record, losing in the "Stagg Bowl," the Division III national championship game to perennial power Mount Union, 30-27.
Under Clark's direction the program has produced 15 players who have earned All-Americans honors and 60 athletes who have earned first team all-conference honors. In the classroom two athletes have earned both All-American and NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships during their playing days at Bridgewater under Clark.
Clark started his coaching career as the defensive line and linebackers coach at Murray State University in 1980 and helped Frank Beamer's Racers to 44 wins in five seasons and a stay in the Division I-AA national poll for 25 straight weeks. After a stint as wide receivers coach at his alma mater Cincinnati from 1986-87, Clark rejoined Beamer at Virginia Tech in 1988 serving as the Hokies' defensive coordinator for five seasons. In 1993, Clark moved to Virginia Military Institute serving as the Keydets' defensive coordinator in 1993 and quarterback coach in 1994 before being named the 14th Bridgewater head coach on January 16, 1995.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Clark earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati in English Literature and was a four-year letter winner in football as a defensive back. He helped the Bearcats to a 9-2 record and a top 20 national ranking during the 1976 season. At graduation he was given the school's "Mr. Bearcat Award" as the outstanding graduating male senior at the University of Cincinnati in 1980.
Currently, Clark acts as the AFCA conference-coaching representative. He is a voting member of the AFCA-USA Today coaches poll, and recently completed a term as Chairman on the NCAA College Football Rules Committee.
Clark lives in Bridgewater with his wife Sharon. The couple has two daughters, Megan and Erin. Megan is a 2004 graduate of Bridgewater who completed her Masters Degree in Public Health from George Washington University and is a Presidential Management Fellow. Erin is a Mathmatics graduate from Christopher Newport University who works for the U.S. Navy.
Peter Raeford, Defensive Secondary Coach (Cornerbacks)
 Raeford begins his sixth year at Bridgewater College. Prior to joining the BC staff, Raeford was an assistant coach at Greensboro College for five seasons. Raeford coached the defensive backs for his first two seasons at Greensboro and for three seasons, he coached the outside linebackers.
Raeford played professional football in three different leagues. He was a defensive back for the USFL's San Antonio Gunslingers in 1984-85 before joining the NFL's Chicago Bears in 1987. In 1988, he played with New York Knights in the Arena Football League.
Raeford also had brief coaching stints on the pro level. In 1991, he worked as strength coach and assistant defensive backs coach for the San Antonio Riders in the World Football League. The following year, he served as defensive backs coach and strength coach for the San Antonio Force in the Arena Football League. Raeford also worked as a strength coach for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs from 1992-93. Pete's daughter Chloe was a 2008 graduate at Baylor University in Texas.
Joey Soltis, Offensive Coordinator & Running Backs Coach
 Joey Soltis took over the reins of Bridgewater's high-scoring offense as the team's offensive coordinator in 2006. Soltis took over from long-time BC coordinator, Bob Colbert, who left the Eagles to take the head coaching job at Saint Vincent College.
Soltis rejoined the Bridgewater coaching staff in 1998 as the wide receivers coach after previously serving as running backs coach during Mike Clark's inaugural season on 1995. In between, Soltis worked as a student assistant coach at James Madison University and earned his undergraduate degree in social science in 1998.
Soltis also played a year as a running back for Emory and Henry and spent four years as an assistant coach at Glenvar High School in Salem, VA from 1990-94.
Soltis is also the head strength and conditioning coach for the men's and women's sports at Bridgewater. He resides in Bridgewater and is married to the former April Pifer, a Bridgewater graduate in 2004 and a teacher in the Rockingham County Schools.
Stephon Healey, Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach
 Stephon Healey will begin his sixth year with the Bridgewater Eagles and moves back to coaching defensive line after two years of working on the offensive side. Last winter he was promoted to the Assistant Head Coach, a role formally held by Bob Colbert and is Coach Clark's second in command in the day-to-day operation of the football program.
Healey came to the States from the University of Aberystwyth (Wales), where he was a head coach. Prior to Aberystwyth, Healey coached the defensive line for a year at Averett University.
A native of London, England Healey played collegiate football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. A graduate from the University of Greenwich (London), Healey has his undergraduate degree in Education and Human Movement Studies. Healey is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Certified USA Weightlifting club coach.
Healey is also as assistant track coach (jumps) and a strength and conditioning coordinator.
Jack Johnson, Defensive Coordinator (Safeties)
 Jack Johnson begins his third year on the Bridgewater College football staff. Johnson was previously on the staff at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Johnson will coach the safety positions for the Eagles and adds the defensive coordinator role that was done by Coach Clark in 2007.
After his playing career at Mary Hardin-Baylor, Johnson joined the UMHB staff first as a student assistant and then as a graduate assistant. During his four years on staff the team posted a 41-6 record, won three conference titles and was runner-up at the 2004 Stagg Bowl national title game. Johnson coached the defensive ends at UMHB.
Johnson graduated from Mary-Hardin-Baylor with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Exercise Sports Science with a minor in Psychology. In December, 2005 he received his Masters of Education degree from Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Ben Taylor, Linebackers Coach
 Ben Taylor begins his first season as an assistant on the Eagles staff and will coach the team's linebackers.
Taylor brings nine years of playing experience at the collegiate and professional levels to the BC program. He played his college ball at Virginia Teach, beginning in 1998. While at Teach, he was voted team captain by his teammates and coaches while earning All-Big East and All-American honors.
Following his career with the Hokies, Taylor was drafted in the fourth round on the 2002 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. From 2002-05, he started 29 of his 49 career games in Cleveland. After the 2005 season, Taylor signed with Green Bay Packers where he finished his playing career in 2006.
Taylor graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. He is married to April Diane Taylor and the couple has a 1-year old son, Benjamin. Taylor is a native of Bellaire, Ohio.
Troy Shaffer, Wide Receivers Coach
Troy Shaffer enters his first season on the Eagles staff and will coach the wide receivers. 
Shaffer comes to the BC program after spending 2007 working in the private sector. In 2006, he was the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for the post-graduate program at Hargrave Military Academy. In 2005, Shaffer was the defensive backs coach and special teams assistant at Maryville College. From 2003-04 he was a graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne College where he moved from coaching wide receivers to coaching the secondary. Shaffer began his coaching career at Methodist College as the Monarchs secondary coach.
Shaffer is a graduate of Bridgewater College where he played three years of football and one year of baseball. He graduated with a degree in history and political science.
Shaffer, a native of Clifton Forge, VA, attended Alleghany High School in Covington, VA where he played football and baseball and was named to the Blue Ridge All-District team in both sports. Following his graduation from Bridgewater, Shaffer got his start in coaching at Alleghany H.S.
Adam Martiny, Offensive Line/Tight Ends Coach
 Adam Martiny is currently in his second stint as an assistant on the BC coaching staff and this year will work with the offensive line.
Martiny was a three-year letterman and a three-year starter at center at West Virginia Wesleyan College. He received his degree in physical education from WVW in 2001.
Martiny began his coaching career in 2000 as an assistant at River Hill H.S. in Maryland. He has also coached at Ohio Northern University and West Virginia Wesleyan before arriving at BC in 2005. Martiny then coached at Utica in 2006 before returning to the Eagles' program in 2007.
Larry Moore, Offensive Line, Tight Ends Coach
 Larry Moore joins the Bridgewater College staff this season as part of the NFLPA/NCAA internship program. Moore will assist Eagles' coach Adam Martiny with the offensive line and tight ends.
Moore, a native of San Diego, played at Grossmont Junior College before transferring to Brigham Young University. Moore, a business management major, was a two-year starter at guard at BYU and earned All-WAC honors.
Moore then played nine years in the NFL, starting his career in Seattle in 1997. He played with the Indianapolis Colts from 1998-2001, the Washington Redskins in 2002-03 and the Cincinnati Bengals from 2004-06. He started 75 of 98 games during his career before retiring due to a knee injury.
Moore has been coached by some of the best line coaches in the NFL, including Howard Mudd and Paul Alexander, and hopes to share his knowledge with this year's Eagles.
Larry lives with his girlfriend Christina , Tristan and baby Isabella. |
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