CHICAGO -- UIC head coach Steve McClain announced Wednesday the addition of Rod Clark to the UIC men's basketball coaching staff.
 
"We are thrilled to be adding Rod to the Flames family," said McClain. "He has a proven track record of developing top talent and his knowledge of the game will make an immediate impact on our team."
 
Clark comes to Chicago after being the top assistant at Sunrise Christian Academy since 2017. In his role, Clark served as the primary player recruiter, specialized in film breakdown and scouting, and was involved in all aspects of player development.
 
In his first year at Sunrise Christian, the team finished 24-2, appeared in the Top 5 of the national rankings for the first time in program history and finished the season No. 2 according to USA Today and MaxPreps. His team followed that up with a 22-5 record the following season, finishing the year ranked 10th nationally and making the program's first-ever appearance at the Geico National Tournament.
 
In addition to his coaching duties at Sunrise Christian, Clark also spent a season as an assistant coach on the Nike MoKan EYBL U17 team. His team posted a 30-7 record during the spring and summer of 2018 en route to being named Division champions and earning a bid to the Nike Peach Jam, where they advanced to the semifinals. His squad followed up the semifinal appearance in 2018 with a championship at the Nike Peach Jam this past summer, defeating Team WhyNot (Los Angeles) in the finals. Clark helped develop current Chicago Bull Shaq Harrison, as well as Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky) and Isaac Likekele (Oklahoma State), both of whom were members of the USA U19 squad that won the gold medal.
 
"Chicago is one of the best cities in the world to be in for basketball," said Clark. "I'm excited and extremely grateful to Coach McClain for giving me this opportunity to come be a part of and impact the men's basketball program at UIC. I'm looking forward to working with the staff, getting with our guys on the court and competing in one of the best leagues in all of college basketball."
 
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Clark played collegiately at Neosho Community College and Redlands Community College his first two seasons before concluding his career at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky.