Hall of Fame tennis coach passes away

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Jim Clark, who was inducted into the Fort Wayne Tennis Hall of Fame in November of 2011, passed away early Wednesday morning at his home after a lengthy battle with cancer.  He was 66-years-old.

Clark may be most well known as the long-time coach of the Homestead High School boys tennis team.  He led the Spartans to an Indiana state record 31 straight sectional titles before his retirement at the end of the 2009 season.  He didn't stay retired for long however, as Clark took on the task of coaching the resurrected University of St. Francis men's tennis team in 2010.   He resigned from that position in 2011 after coaching the team for two seasons.  Clark was scheduled to return as coach for the 2012 season.

The following YouTube clip is from a report that aired on NewsChannel 15 after he announced his retirement from Homestead in 2009.

During his tenure at Homestead, Clark's teams made it to state 18 times, but never won the title, something Clark never regretted.

For funeral arrangements, click here.