Clark led the Highland Cavaliers to a remarkable improvement last season. UVA-Wise posted a 15-18 mark with three of the team's defeats to NCAA Division I squads. The Cavs made an exciting run into the Appalachian Athletic Conference playoffs. After finishing tied for seventh in the regular season, the Cavs defeated Milligan in the opening round before upsetting top seeded Tennessee Wesleyan in double overtime before falling to runner-up Union College on day three.
Clark's team looks to build upon the momentum of the 2005-06 season in the upcoming year. The Cavs return four starters including AAC Freshman of the Year Zydrunas Rackauskas, who averaged nearly a double-double (13.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg) in his first year. The squad will have only two seniors with the other three top scorers being juniors Jarred Soles (15.0 ppg), Seth Gibson (7.3 ppg) and Joey Blackwell (72 assists).
The 11th-year head coach holds the most career men's basketball coaching victories of 132 wins, more than 50 more than Bernard Hall who is second on the list.
His 2002-03 squad set a new school record with 24 victories. The team captured the first AAC regular season title in the program's history. The Cavs continued and swept through the conference tournament and won the championship over Virginia Intermont.
The team made the first NAIA national tournament appearance where they fell 78-73 to traditional power Cornerstone (IA) University.
Before taking over the UVa-Wise program, Clark was a successful high school coach. In six years, he led Twin Springs High School to four Region D championships and a state title. During his tenure, Clark's teams tallied an impressive 126-28 record.
Under Clark, Twin Springs netted four 20-win seasons, four VHSL Group A state tournament appearances and three Group A Final Four trips. He was named Region D Coach of the Year for three consecutive seasons (1992, ‘93 and ‘94) and Cumberland District Coach of the Year five consecutive seasons.
Clark earned his bachelor's degree from UVa-Wise in 1985 and later received his master's degree in education from Lincoln Memorial University.
The Cavs coach lives in Gate City, Va. with his wife Michelle (Pendleton) Clark, who is also an alumnae of UVa-Wise. They have two sons, Dalton and Dillon, who serve as managers for the UVa-Wise men's basketball team.
Under Bentley's direction, UVA-Wise posted a five-year mark of 61-84 (.420). The 61 victories rank the former head coach third on the program's career win list. His best season came in the 1981-82 season when the Cavs finished 15-14.
Bentley also has recorded many successful seasons in the high school ranks.
The longtime coach earned his degree in 1970 from UVA-Wise.
Jordan works primarily with the guards and wing players. He is responsible for daily organization, recruiting, scouting, academic monitoring and practice structure.
Jordan played for the Cavs from 1990-94 and helped the team to a 21-12, the most wins for a UVa-Wise squad at the time, as a senior. After graduating, he coached the Wise County Christian School to a 52-35 overall mark and three winning seasons.
The assistant coach is the co-owner of Lawn Rangers Personnal Property Management and Trinity Airsoft Company. He is also an adjunct professor of soccer, conditioning and bowling.
A native of Tazewell, Jordan earned his bachelor's degree in history from UVa-Wise in 1998. He and his wife Courtney (Moore), who also is an alumnae of UVa-Wise and a spanish teacher at Appalachia High School, live in Pound, Va. and have three children, Annie (5), Noah (4) and Abigail born on July 6th, 2006.
Blake Mellinger enters his fourth year as an assistant coach on the Cavalier staff and second as the programs Recruiting Coordinator. Blake is responsible for recruiting, on floor coaching, scheduling, team travel, day to day operations, monitoring team compliance and academics, film exchange, video editing, scouting of opponents, individual player development, setting up community service projects, and assists in the coordination of team camp.
He has also worked various basketball camps across the southeast including Wofford College, Clemson University, The University of South Carolina, and Virginia Tech.
Mellinger was promoted to a full time position in March 2007 after working the 2006-2007 season as a part time assistant. Blake first joined the Cavalier staff as a student assistant during the 2005-2006 season while completing his degree in Business Administration from UVa-Wise.
Mellinger is no stranger to the game of basketball. Having a father and grandfather as coaches, Blake has become a third generation coach in the Mellinger family.
A native of Glade Spring, Va, Mellinger was a three sport athlete at Patrick Henry High School, lettering in basketball, football, and track & field. In 2001, while playing under Coach Randy Poole, Blake became the all-time leading scorer in the school's history, breaking a record that had stood at the school for over thirty years. He held that title until 2006 when it was broken by fellow Patrick Henry alum and current Cavalier player Travis Brannon.
After completing his career at Patrick Henry, Mellinger accepted an offer to play at NCAA division II Limestone College in Gaffney, SC where he played for Coach Larry Epperly from 2001-2003. He then went on to play for Coach Lee Clark from 2003-2005, where he served as a team captain and went on to become an all conference player as a senior.
Mellinger received his bachelor's degree in business administration from UVa-Wise in December 2005.
Blake, who is an active member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, married the former Amy Tolley of Bristol, VA on July 28, 2007. The couple resides in Abingdon, Va.
