Former Army Basketball Player Named President of Washington Commanders

A 1990 graduate of Army West Point, Mark Clouse used to play basketball for the Black Knights before his military service.

Oct 16, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Army Black Knights logo on sideline equipment during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Mark Clouse, who played basketball at Army West Point and graduated in 1990, is now the president of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, the team announced earlier this week.

Clouse was formerly the president and chief executive officer of the Campbell’s Company, a role he had for five years, before joining the Commanders. He will oversee the NFL team’s business operations.

Clouse played two years on the Army basketball team, per the program’s media guide, as a freshman and as a sophomore. Per sports-reference.com, as a freshman in 1986-87 he played in 11 games and averaged 5.3 minutes. He averaged 2.3 points.

His sophomore year he averaged 5.2 minutes per game and scored 2.7 points. He did not play his final two years at West Point.

After graduation, he was deployed and served more than six years as a helicopter pilot and rose to the rank of captain by the time his service ended.

He moved into the food services industry after he discharged, taking a job with Kraft Foods and serving in several management positions in 15 years with the company.

In 2012 he was named the president of North America at Mondelēz, a snack company that has brands in more than 150 counties. Those brands include Chips Ahoy!, Clif bars, Oreo, Ritz and Sour Patch Kids. He was later promoted to chief commercial officer.

He later served as the CEO of Pinnacle Foods before joining Campbell’s in 2019. He managed brands such as Campbell’s, Goldfish, Rao’s and Pepperidge Farm.

Clouse will begin working for the Commanders in January.

"In Mark we have found a dynamic leader with a stellar track record of guiding organizations to excellence, building brands that connect deeply with consumers, and ultimately delivering best-in-class experiences and lasting memories," said Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris. "Mark shares our commitment to using the power of the Commanders franchise to bring people together. As a military veteran and accomplished business builder, he has a proven ability to strengthen both the organizations he leads and the communities he serves."

Clouse has remained supportive of the men’s basketball team since graduation.

The Black Knights are coming off a triple-overtime win over Le Moyne earlier this week. Army (5-3) is back in action on Sunday when it hosts Cornell, one of three remaining home games this month.