Wolverines dismiss DE Frank Clark

The Michigan Wolverines dismissed senior Frank Clark on Monday after police arrested the starting defensive end on domestic violence charges in Ohio this weekend.

Clark, a native of Cleveland, was arrested in the early morning hours Sunday. He appeared on video conference in the Sandusky Municipal Court on Monday. He pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges and bail was set at $3,000. It is unknown if he posted.

"This is a tragic situation," coach Brady Hoke said in a written statement. "Our student-athletes will be held accountable when their actions fail to meet the standard we have at Michigan. There is a legal process that will occur and we respect that process."

Hoke called the report "unacceptable" in a news conference and said he doesn't want his program to be associated with those types of allegations. Hoke said he has not yet had a chance to speak to Clark, but looks forward to doing so in the future.

He said he first heard about Clark's arrest Sunday morning and spent the next 24 hours collecting as much information as he could before making the decision to dismiss Clark.

Hoke said he speaks to the team regularly about domestic abuse.

"I've told our guys since Day 1 that it won't be tolerated," he said. "It won't be tolerated in this program. I have a daughter who is 29. I have a wife. I have two sisters. That's always been probably one of the first things I talk about with our teams at least a couple times a year."

In the police report, Clark's girlfriend said he punched her in the face after an altercation in the Maui Sands hotel in Sandusky, Ohio. The woman's brother, who was also in the room, said he saw Clark pick her up by the neck and slam her to the ground.

Clark was outside the room when police arrived, according to the report. He told officers that he didn't touch the woman, saying she was having "crazy fits" and may be pregnant. The woman declined to go to the hospital for her injuries and said she did not want to press charges.

This is Clark's second arrest during his career with the Wolverines. He pleaded guilty to a second-degree home invasion felony charge after stealing a laptop from a Michigan dormitory in September 2012. Clark paid a fine, was sentenced to 12 months' probation and was suspended from the team's season-opening loss to Alabama.

Clark has been one of Michigan's most productive players on defense this season. He leads the team with 13.5 tackles for loss. He has 42 total tackles and 4.5 sacks through 10 games.

Michigan (5-5) plays Maryland in its final home game of the season Saturday and can become eligible for a bowl game with a victory.