Torchy Clark
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 1, 1929 Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | April 22, 2009 (aged 80) Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1969–1983 | UCF |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 274–89 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 5× Sunshine State regular season (1976–1978, 1981, 1982) Sunshine State tournament (1978) | |
| Awards | |
| 4× Sunshine State Coach of the Year Sunshine State Coach of the Decade | |
| Records | |
| Most wins in UCF history (274) | |
Eugene "Torchy" Clark (January 1, 1929 – April 22, 2009) was an American college basketball coach. He was the first head coach of the UCF Knights men's basketball team that represents the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Then named Florida Technological University, Clark served as the university's head basketball coach from 1969 to 1983.
During his 14-year tenure at UCF, Clark never had a losing season, and built the Knights into a national power, leading the team to five Sunshine State Conference regular season championships, one conference tournament championship and six NCAA tournament appearances in eight years. In 1978, Clark led the Knights, which at the time were riding a 24–game winning streak, to the Final Four. During his tenure, the Knights were ranked in the top 10 nationally for seven consecutive years.