The 2024 and 2025 SEC Coach of the Year and recipient of the 2025 FWAA Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award, E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Football Clark Lea was named Vanderbilt’s 29th head coach in December 2020.
Lea’s commitment to sustained excellence at his alma mater set the stage for a historic 2025 season. Building on a hard-earned foundation, the Commodores won 10 games overall and six games in the SEC, each for the first time in program history, and transformed a reimagined FirstBank Stadium into a fortress in the heart of Nashville.
- In addition to winning the Eddie Robinson Award, Lea was a 2025 finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant, George Munger, AFCA and Walter Camp Coach of the Year Awards, as well as the Dodd Trophy. He was also the American Football Coaches Association Region 2 Coach of the Year.
- The Dores entered the Associated Press rankings in September and remained ranked for the next 13 weeks — after having never spent more than four weeks in the poll in a season. They were ranked as high as No. 9, the program’s best since 1937.
- Amassing the 11th-best strength of record in the country, according to ESPN, the Commodores defeated four ranked opponents. Vanderbilt’s only regular season losses came at No. 9 Alabama and No. 13 Texas.
- Among numerous individual honors earned under Lea’s tutelage, Diego Pavia was honored as SEC Offensive Player of the Year, won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and became Vanderbilt’s first Heisman Trophy finalist, while Eli Stowers received the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end, the Campbell Trophy as college football’s preeminent scholar-athlete and was Vanderbilt’s first unanimous All-America selection since 2016.
- The Commodores accepted a bid to the ReliaQuest Bowl, marking just the second time in program history they made back-to-back bowl appearances.
- Vanderbilt was undefeated at home (7-0) and played in front of six capacity crowds at FirstBank Stadium, completely reimagined by the Vandy United facilities campaign. For the season, Vanderbilt played to 99.5 percent capacity at home.
Prior to the team’s win at Tennessee to close the regular season, Lea and Vanderbilt agreed to a contract extension.
The 2024 campaign marked one of the most impressive turnarounds in the nation, culminating in a Birmingham Bowl victory against Georgia Tech.
Vanderbilt’s breakthrough was evident in a series of “first time” notes:
- First win over the nation’s No. 1 team in program history
- First win over an Associated Press top-five team in program history
- First win at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium in program history
- First time with wins over Alabama and Auburn in the same season since 1955
- First win over Alabama since 1984
- First bowl game since 2018
- First victory over a Power 4 nonconference opponent since 2017
As the year began, Lea assumed additional responsibilities as defensive coordinator and hired Tim Beck as offensive coordinator, Jerry Kill as chief consultant to the head coach and senior offensive advisor and Robert Stiner as director of football sports performance.
Lea’s defense held opponents to their fewest points per game (23.4) in nearly a decade. Paired with Beck’s offense, Vanderbilt produced its best scoring margin since 2013 and had a positive scoring margin for just the fifth time since 1983. Meanwhile, first-year special teams coordinator Jeff LePak’s unit was fifth in FBS in ESPN’s Special Teams Efficiency.
Lea was the first Vanderbilt coach to be voted SEC Coach of the Year by his peers since 2008 and the first to win it outright since 1982. In addition to his SEC honors, Lea was named the AFCA Region Coach of the Year, Tennessee Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year and AP Midseason National Coach of the Year.
In his first three seasons, Lea went about the difficult work of rebuilding a culture and resetting expectations, necessary steps in growing the championship-caliber program he envisioned. Much of that work took place in ways that didn’t always manifest on the scoreboard prior to the breakthrough 2024 season, but as the building blocks fell into place, tangible progress was nonetheless visible.
In 2021, in just his second game in charge, the Commodores snapped streaks of 11 consecutive losses overall and 10 consecutive losses on the road.
In 2022, Vanderbilt won multiple SEC games for the first time in four years, including the first home win against Florida since 1988. And Lea’s five wins marked the second-best total for any second-year coach in nearly 50 years, all while navigating the fifth-toughest schedule in the nation (FEI ELS ranking) and four Associated Press top-10 opponents.
In 2023, the Commodores were the SEC’s least penalized team in total penalties (59) and penalty yards (510). It was the third time in as many seasons Vandy was the conference’s least penalized team, evidence of Lea’s commitment to discipline and responsibility.
In remaking the program in his image, Lea never looked for short cuts. As a Double Dore with multiple Vanderbilt degrees, his teams excel in the classroom.
As a team, the 2023 Commodores posted a program-record 3.106 grade-point average for the fall semester. Ten football student-athletes earned a 4.0 GPA for the semester, 29 made the Dean’s List, 67 had a 3.0 for the term and 55 made the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
A year earlier, Vanderbilt earned the annual Academic Achievement Award from the American Football Coaches Association thanks to a 100 percent graduation rate. It marked the fifth time Vanderbilt captured the honor since it was instituted in 1981. Additionally, four Commodores were named Academic All-District by College Sports Communicators. Previously, Vanderbilt had never had more than two such selections in the same season.
A Nashville native who attended Montgomery Bell Academy, Lea played baseball at Birmingham-Southern and helped the team win the 2001 NAIA national championship. Lea then transferred to Belmont play baseball before finishing his career at Vanderbilt, playing fullback during his final two years of eligibility. After initially pursuing his SEC football dreams as a walk-on, Lea earned a scholarship with the Commodores. He earned both his undergraduate (2004) and graduate (2007) degrees from Vanderbilt in political science.
Lea and his wife, Allison, have two sons, Clark III and Jack, and a daughter, Mara.
Lea’s Coaching Journey
Notre Dame – 2018-20 (Defensive Coordinator) Lea was the architect of a defense that helped Notre Dame to a No. 2 national ranking and appearance in the ACC Championship Game in 2020, two years after qualifying for the College Football Playoff semifinals. … He helped the Fighting Irish to a 12-1 mark in 2018, with the lone loss to No. 2 Clemson in the CFP semifinals. … During the 2019 campaign, Lea’s unit finished in the top 10 nationally in fewest touchdown passes allowed (7, t-2nd), fewest passing yards allowed/attempt (5.4, t-3rd), pass efficiency defense (100.8/4th), fewest touchdowns allowed (24, t-8th), and fewest points allowed per game (17.3, t-9th).
Notre Dame – 2017 (Linebackers) Lea helped Notre Dame become the last team in the FBS to surrender more than 20 points in a game, as the Fighting Irish allowed only four plays of 40 yards or longer and just one play of 50 yards or longer. … Notre Dame ranked first or second in the FBS in fewest completions allowed of at least 30, 40 and 50 yards.
Wake Forest – 2016 (Linebackers) In Lea’s lone season at Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons’ defense ranked in the top-20 of the FBS in fumbles recovered (third), turnovers forced (10th), sacks (12th), defensive touchdowns (17th), red zone defense (17th) and scoring defense (20th). … Wake Forest was one of four schools in the FBS to rank in the top-20 in turnovers forced, sacks and scoring defense. … Lea was instrumental in the development of All-ACC linebacker Marquel Lee, who was the only FBS linebacker to post more than 100 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2016.
Syracuse – 2013-15 (Linebackers) In three years with the Orange, Lea helped develop Zaire Franklin to an All-ACC performer. … In 2015, Franklin became the fourth sophomore captain in team history and led the Orange in tackles with 81. … Lea’s 2014 unit was one of four at the FBS level to surrender fewer than 10 rushing touchdowns, while the 2013 defense finished within the top 20 nationally in third-down defense (15th), rush defense (24th), sacks (18th) and tackles for loss (18th).
Bowling Green – 2012 (Linebackers) Lea was a key piece of a defense that finished the year ranked seventh in the country in pass defense, ninth in scoring defense and sixth in third-down defense, while his linebacker unit featured a pair of All-Mid-American Conference performers. … He was a finalist for FootballScoop.com’s Linebackers Coach of the Year, with his defensive group topping the MAC in nine statistical categories.
UCLA – 2010-11 (Linebackers) Lea helped Akeem Ayers to a Dick Butkus Award finalist finish in 2010 en route to being the 39th overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. … His pupil Eric Kendricks eventually went on to be the 2014 Butkus Award winner and a second round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2015.
UCLA – 2009 (Graduate Assistant • Linebackers) Lea returned to UCLA as a second-year graduate assistant and helped Reggie Carter to a team-high 79 tackles and Kyle Bosworth to 77 stops. … The Bruins won the Eagle Bank Bowl over Temple, as the defense ranked third in the league in total defense and scoring defense and was first in turnovers forced.
South Dakota State – 2008 (Linebackers • Recruiting Coordinator) Lea added recruiting coordinator duties and helped the Jackrabbits to a 7-5 mark despite playing six teams ranked in the top 25.
South Dakota State – 2007 (Linebackers) In first full-time coaching job, Lea’s three starting linebackers ranked among the top four tacklers in the league, as South Dakota State won the Great West Football Conference championship. … Two of Lea’s student-athletes were first-team all-league selections, and a third was a second-team choice.
UCLA – 2006 (Graduate Assistant • Defense) Lea began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Karl Dorrell, working primarily with the team’s linebackers.
Postseason Experience
2006 • UCLA • Emerald Bowl
2009 • UCLA • Eagle Bank Bowl
2011 • UCLA • Fight Hunger Bowl
2012 • Bowling Green • Military Bowl
2013 • Syracuse • Texas Bowl
2016 • Wake Forest • Military Bowl
2017 • Notre Dame • Citrus Bowl
2018 • Notre Dame • College Football Playoff (Cotton Bowl)
2019 • Notre Dame • Camping World Bowl
2020 • Notre Dame • College Football Playoff (Rose Bowl)
2024 • Vanderbilt • Birmingham Bowl (Champions)
2025 • Vanderbilt • ReliaQuest Bowl