Together the pair have overseen a transformation in the brand of football played at the Boleyn and watched their side grow into an entertaining top 10 Premiership side.
"I think he came into the job fresh and a little bit naïve and didn't know what to expect," admitted Clarke to the official site.
"I think very quickly, because he's an intelligent man, he's realised that it's not a cakewalk or an easy job. It's a very difficult job trying to control and manage a group of players but, for me, looking at it, I think he's done a fantastic job in his first season.
"Just purely getting to grips with the role, the decisions you have to make and the amount of times where you get frustrated and have to keep it under wraps. There are lots of different bits and pieces to being a manager and I think he's handled himself very, very well."