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Clark Lea Coaching History & Bio
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| Clark Lea Teams Coached | Years Coached | Clark Lea Coaching Record |
|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | 2021-present | 16-33 |
- 2006: UCLA – Graduate assistant
- 2007: South Dakota State – Linebackers coach
- 2008: South Dakota State – Recruiting coordinator/linebackers coach
- 2009: UCLA – Graduate assistant
- 2010-11: UCLA – Linebackers coach
- 2012: Bowling Green – Linebackers coach
- 2013-15: Syracuse – Linebackers coach
- 2016: Wake Forest – Linebackers coach
- 2017: Notre Dame – Linebackers coach
- 2018-20: Notre Dame – Defensive coordinator
- 2021-present: Vanderbilt – Head coach
Clark Lea Coaching History
Clark Lea is the 29th head football coach for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Lea played for Vanderbilt football from 2002-04. After more than a decade of working as an assistant coach, he returned to his alma mater ahead of the 2021 season for his first head coaching job.
Lea played fullback at Vanderbilt, but was a defensive coach as an assistant. He got his start in 2006 as a graduate assistant at UCLA on Karl Dorrell’s staff. A year later, Lea took his first position coaching gig as the linebackers coach at South Dakota State.
Lea remained at South Dakota State through 2008, adding the recruiting coordinator title in his second year. In 2009, it was back to UCLA as a grad assistant again, this time under head coach Rick Neuheisel.
In his second stint at UCLA, Lea got to be the team’s linebackers coach for 2 seasons (2010-11). After a coaching change for the Bruins, Lea went to Bowling Green, where he first worked under Dave Clawson and Mike Elko.
It only took Lea a season to get back to the Power 5 ranks. Following his stop at Bowling Green, Lea spent 3 seasons coaching linebackers at Syracuse (2013-15).
In 2016, Lea linked back up with Clawson and Elko at Wake Forest. Lea served as linebackers coach for the Demon Deacons under Clawson (head coach) and Elko (defensive coordinator).
When Brian Kelly hired Elko away to Notre Dame as defensive coordinator, Lea followed Elko to South Bend to be the team’s linebackers coach for the 2017 season. The following year, Elko was poached by Jimbo Fisher to be Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator.
After Elko left South Bend for College Station, Kelly promoted Lea to his first coordinator position. Lea was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame for a strong 3-year stretch for the Irish (2018-20).
The Irish went 12-0 in the 2018 regular season, falling to eventual national champion Clemson in the College Football Playoff. The 2019 Notre Dame team did not make a New Year’s Six game but still finished 11-2 with a win in the Camping World Bowl. During the 2020 season, Notre Dame played an ACC schedule, starting 10-0 to reach the conference championship game and return to the CFP.
Lea returned to Vanderbilt having coached in 9 bowl games, including 2 College Football Playoff semifinals. He inherited a team that went 0-9 against an all-SEC schedule in 2020, and the Commodores didn’t improve in 2021 during Lea’s first season. After losing the season opener 23-3 to ETSU, the Commodores picked up wins over Colorado State and UConn. They went on to drop their final 7 contests to finish the year 2-10 and 0-8 in SEC play.
In Year 2, Lea got his first signature wins as a head coach in back-to-back weeks. Vanderbilt picked up its first SEC win since 2019 by upsetting No. 24 Kentucky 24-21 in Lexington on Nov. 12. The following Saturday, Lea’s squad kept the momentum rolling by defeating Florida 31-24 in Nashville. It was Vandy’s first win over UF since 2013, and the program even picked up an SEC fine for fans rushing onto the field to celebrate.
Lea scored his biggest win as Vanderbilt’s coach in 2024 – perhaps the most crucial win in modern Commodores history – by beating No. 1 Alabama in Nashville. The Commodores had an excellent season compared to their recent struggles, finishing 7-6 with a Birmingham Bowl victory over Georgia Tech – Lea’s first at Vanderbilt.
Now, there’s more momentum than ever for Vanderbilt football heading into 2025. Can Lea and Vanderbilt take that next step?
FAQs about Clark Lea
What is Clark Lea's Salary?
As a private school, Vanderbilt is not obligated to make the financial details of its coaches’ contracts public. However, according to The Tennessean newspaper, Lea’s 2025 salary is believed to be in the vicinity of $3.75 million.
What is the Length of Clark Lea's Contract?
Lea signed a 6-year contract when he was hired by Vanderbilt in December 2020. In July 2023, he received a 3-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2029 season.
What is Clark Lea's Buyout?
Lea’s buyout is estimated to be in the range of $13-to-$15 million.
How many Degrees Does Clark Lea have from Vanderbilt?
Two. The Vanderbilt coach is a Nashville native who played fullback for the Commodores from 2002-04. He holds 2 degrees from Vanderbilt, both in political science. He earned his undergraduate degree in 2004 and a master’s in 2009.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
