NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was during summer workouts in 2002 that the Commodores were getting to know each other, training together, learning the playbook and running 7-on-7 drills.
Norval McKenzie remembers vividly how this new teammate kept eagerly putting himself in the middle of all the action.
“He kept jumping in there and I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’ ” McKenzie laughed.
That guy turned out to be Clark Lea, now the 29th head coach in Vanderbilt football history. He and McKenzie would go on to share the Vandy backfield from 2002-04, become good friends and remain in touch throughout their now-long college coaching careers.
The duo is back together again on West End as McKenzie has joined Lea’s staff as the program’s running backs coach.
“I’m thrilled to be back home,” McKenzie said. “Nashville is a special place. This school and city have impacted my life. This is where I became a man; it’s where I met my wife. This is where I met some life-long friends. It means everything to me.”
McKenzie rushed for nearly 1,500 yards – averaging 4.7 yards per carry – in four seasons and 37 career games for the Commodores. His best season came in 2003 when he scored five times on the ground, rushed for 639 yards and caught 15 passes for 109 yards.
Lea was McKenzie’s fullback for much of those statistical accomplishments. McKenzie remembers Lea’s aggressiveness, physicality and leadership ability as a Vanderbilt undergrad.
Those traits have been key in Lea’s career trajectory as he has worked to make his professional dream come true.
“My belief in Clark is one of those things where he’s had this vision for a while. He always shared to me that he has dreamed of being the head football coach here at Vanderbilt University, and always shared to me how he felt like he could win here and consistently be successful here,” McKenzie said. “This is not something that just happened within the last three years just because he was the Notre Dame defensive coordinator. This is something he has been working toward his entire career.
“Now, did he know it was going to happen this early? Probably not. But what I do know is he has had this vision for this program for a very, very long time. And he shared that vision with me about 10 years ago. It’s pretty special for it to come together right now and he’s getting this opportunity to live it.”
McKenzie left Nashville in 2005 and got his coaching start at Hiram (Georgia) High School before returning to Vanderbilt as a graduate assistant. Since then he has made stops at Furman, Arkansas State and, most recently, Louisville.
Running backs under McKenzie’s watch, he said, need to ignite the offense. Whether it’s making a defender miss in space, running over the opponent with a big hit or picking up a key block in pass protection, Vanderbilt running backs should be the catalyst for moving the ball.
“I want those guys to be leaders. I want those guys those to play extremely hard,” McKenzie said. “I want those guys to create a certain excitement when the ball is in their hands, but also be unbelievable when the ball is not in their hands with protection and catching the ball out of the backfield.
“I’m just looking for these guys to take ownership and have an identity.”
McKenzie and Lea have returned to Nashville at a pivotal turning point for the Commodores. That excites the former Vanderbilt running back who knows the job will be a tough one – but a fun one.
“Some people feel like it’s a challenge, but we’re excited to take that challenge head on and we’re excited about the community,” McKenzie said. “I know Coach Lea is getting a lot of support and a lot of energy behind him being a local kid.
“I couldn’t tell you how many former local players have reached out to me – they’re so excited and so willing to put back into the program. It’s a great feeling where everybody wants to be back, everybody wants us to be successful and everybody is willing to do whatever they can to help us get it done.”
— Chad Bishop covers Vanderbilt for VUCommodores.com.
Follow him @MrChadBishop.
