NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Football Clark Lea is a finalist for the American Heart Association’s 2025 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
The award, now in its 40th year, is given each January to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field.
Lea is a finalist along with Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Bob Chesney (James Madison), Mario Cristobal (Miami [Fla.]), Mike Elko (Texas A&M), Tony Elliot (Virginia), Dan Lanning (Oregon) and Joey McGuire (Texas Tech). Of the finalists, five were also named Bear Bryant coaches of the year in their respective conference (Cignetti, Chesney, Elliot, Lea and McGuire).
The 2025 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, Lea guided Vanderbilt to a 10-3 record overall and 6-2 mark in the Southeastern Conference this fall, setting program records with both win totals. The Commodores defeated four nationally-ranked teams throughout the season, including three—South Carolina, LSU and Missouri—that were among the top 15 in the polls at the time of the matchup.
As a result, the Dores entered the Associated Press rankings in September and remained among the top 25 for the next 13 weeks after having never spent more than four weeks in the poll in a season.
