Clark Lea - Defensive Coordinator

[ab2cmiller]

Found this wonderful tweet. It's a week old, so it doesn't include the VT game.

It's amazing how far we've come.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are seeing their best defensive play in years as they've surprised (some) to sit at 5-0 this season<a href="https://t.co/djBkHUwlhF">https://t.co/djBkHUwlhF</a> <a href="https://t.co/PzUFb8wZJe">pic.twitter.com/PzUFb8wZJe</a></p>— PFF College (@PFF_College) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1047248110949478400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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[ulukinatme]

The Book effect has only been a good thing for the defense. Longer drives and less 3 and outs means the defense is better rested. It's good to see us firing on all cylinders.

 

[NDIrish88]

I know the coaching carousel will be coming be coming up towards the end of the season but if I were Jack Swarbrick and BK I would pay Clark Lea whatever he wants to keep him as DC . . . for now.

 

[T-Boone]

I know the coaching carousel will be coming be coming up towards the end of the season but if I were Jack Swarbrick and BK I would pay Clark Lea whatever he wants to keep him as DC . . . for now.

True. I would do the same with Elston.

 

[CanadalovesND]

True. I would do the same with Elston.

Elston has been groomed for a head coaching position for next season. His name has come up as a candidate for several vacancies in the years past. Kelly awarded associate head coach responsibilities to Elston, as a way to help lessen his load, and more importantly, give Elston experience in handling the oversight of a head football team, much of which doesn’t have much to do directly with football.

Also, keep in mind, Elston has been no higher than a position coach for his entire time here. He’s had recruiting and special teams coordinator duties, and has had his name thrown in the hat for DC interviews following the departures or Diaco, VanGorder and Elko.

However, he’s never actually been a defensive coordinator, aside from sharing the position at Central Michigan in 2005. But, you can count several schools have taken note of how he’s coached the defensive line, and I’m sure Kelly would give him a high endorsement.

You will probably see his name come up for a few MAC teams come December. Bowling Green has already fired their coach, we will see how the interim does. I don’t imagine Central Michigan will hold onto Bonamego after this season. His record after four years is 22-24, and although he has two winning seasons, he’s winless in three straight bowl games.

Elston has been with Kelly at every school, for every season, since 2004.

I feel it’s time that he may just move on and climb up the coaching ladder.

 

[NDIrish88]

Elston has been groomed for a head coaching position for next season. His name has come up as a candidate for several vacancies in the years past. Kelly awarded associate head coach responsibilities to Elston, as a way to help lessen his load, and more importantly, give Elston experience in handling the oversight of a head football team, much of which doesn’t have much to do directly with football.

Also, keep in mind, Elston has been no higher than a position coach for his entire time here. He’s had recruiting and special teams coordinator duties, and has had his name thrown in the hat for DC interviews following the departures or Diaco, VanGorder and Elko.

However, he’s never actually been a defensive coordinator, aside from sharing the position at Central Michigan in 2005. But, you can count several schools have taken note of how he’s coached the defensive line, and I’m sure Kelly would give him a high endorsement.

You will probably see his name come up for a few MAC teams come December. Bowling Green has already fired their coach, we will see how the interim does. I don’t imagine Central Michigan will hold onto Bonamego after this season. His record after four years is 22-24, and although he has two winning seasons, he’s winless in three straight bowl games.

Elston has been with Kelly at every school, for every season, since 2004.

I feel it’s time that he may just move on and climb up the coaching ladder.

Either way ND should try an retain this current staff overall. Seems to be working well.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Elston has been groomed for a head coaching position for next season. His name has come up as a candidate for several vacancies in the years past. Kelly awarded associate head coach responsibilities to Elston, as a way to help lessen his load, and more importantly, give Elston experience in handling the oversight of a head football team, much of which doesn’t have much to do directly with football.

Also, keep in mind, Elston has been no higher than a position coach for his entire time here. He’s had recruiting and special teams coordinator duties, and has had his name thrown in the hat for DC interviews following the departures or Diaco, VanGorder and Elko.

However, he’s never actually been a defensive coordinator, aside from sharing the position at Central Michigan in 2005. But, you can count several schools have taken note of how he’s coached the defensive line, and I’m sure Kelly would give him a high endorsement.

You will probably see his name come up for a few MAC teams come December. Bowling Green has already fired their coach, we will see how the interim does. I don’t imagine Central Michigan will hold onto Bonamego after this season. His record after four years is 22-24, and although he has two winning seasons, he’s winless in three straight bowl games.

Elston has been with Kelly at every school, for every season, since 2004.

I feel it’s time that he may just move on and climb up the coaching ladder.

I bet Kelly regrets not promoting Elston and hiring Van Gorder over him instead. Obviously, promoting from within was not an option following the 2016 season.

 

[arrowryan]

Clark Lea's defense has given up 1 second half touchdown in the last 3 games.

 

[NDIrish88]

Clark Lea's defense has given up 1 second half touchdown in the last 3 games.

BOOM!

 

[IrishLax]

Clark Lea's defense has given up 1 second half touchdown in the last 3 games.

And is currently ranked 4th in the country per S&P+.

Absolutely carrying the team, which has offense ranked 45th and special teams ranked 48th.

 

[NDIrish88]

And is currently ranked 4th in the country per S&P+.

Absolutely carrying the team, which has offense ranked 45th and special teams ranked 48th.

Wonder what the offense looks like with Book starting the first 3 games?

 

[IrishLax]

Wonder what the offense looks like with Book starting the first 3 games?

Really good question, let me see if I can find out.

 

[BobbyMac]

Pretty interesting comment by Rick Neuheisel during the Navy broadcast.

After talking about how Lea started as a GA, impressed and moved up to LB coach with him at UCLA, he then said he secretly moved Lea up to DC at the end of the 2011 season. UCLA would finish 6-8 that year and Neuheisel was canned after ending the season w/ a 50-0 loss to SC, a 41-39 loss to Oregon in the PAC Championship (SC was ineligible) & finishing w/ a 20-14 loss to Illinois in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

IF Neuheisel wins a few particular games that year (the PAC CG and/or the bowl game vs. Illinois), maybe he survives and Lea's not known as an Elko disciple but a Chuck Bullough disciple who's tree at that time was Nick Sabin at MSU and Greg Blache (ND) / Dick Juron w/ the Bears.

Instead, he loses the UCLA gig and accepts the LB job at BGSU under Clawson & ELko.

 

[NDIrish88]

Pretty interesting comment by Rick Neuheisel during the Navy broadcast.

After talking about how Lea started as a GA, impressed and moved up to LB coach with him at UCLA, he then said he secretly moved Lea up to DC at the end of the 2011 season. UCLA would finish 6-8 that year and Neuheisel was canned after ending the season w/ a 50-0 loss to SC, a 41-39 loss to Oregon in the PAC Championship (SC was ineligible) & finishing w/ a 20-14 loss to Illinois in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

IF Neuheisel wins a few particular games that year (the PAC CG and/or the bowl game vs. Illinois), maybe he survives and Lea's not known as an Elko disciple but a Chuck Bullough disciple who's tree at that time was Nick Sabin at MSU and Greg Blache (ND) / Dick Juron w/ the Bears.

Instead, he loses the UCLA gig and accepts the LB job at BGSU under Clawson & ELko.

Who did Clawson/Elko learn the 4 2 5 defense from? It seems to be working. . . .

 

[IrishLion]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Consecutive games allowing 30 points or less:<br><br>Fresno State 20<br>LSU 19<br>Clemson 14<br>Cincinnati, Michigan, Mississippi State, Notre Dame 10<br>North Texas 9</p>— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1059468882933469186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

(•_•)
<) )╯PAY
/ \


\(•_•)
( (> CLARK
/ \


(•_•)
<) )> LEA
/ \

 

[ab2cmiller]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Consecutive games allowing 30 points or less:<br><br>Fresno State 20<br>LSU 19<br>Clemson 14<br>Cincinnati, Michigan, Mississippi State, Notre Dame 10<br>North Texas 9</p>— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1059468882933469186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

(•_•)
<) )╯PAY
/ \


\(•_•)
( (> CLARK
/ \


(•_•)
<) )> LEA
/ \

I wonder why Brett McMurphy chose 30 points as the cutoff. You change it to 31 and Alabama has a streak of 35.

 

[ACamp1900]

I wonder why Brett McMurphy chose 30 points as the cutoff. You change it to 31 and Alabama has a streak of 35.

 

[Irish#1]

I wonder why Brett McMurphy chose 30 points as the cutoff. You change it to 31 and Alabama has a streak of 35.

Need to look at 20 or fewer.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Here's another douchey stat from McMurphy. Of course Tua is now 1 for 1 in the fourth quarter this season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tua Tagovailoa still has never thrown an incompletion in the 4th quarter this season</p>— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1058916681844703232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[BobbyMac]

Named 247's DCOTY

https://247sports.com/college/notre...-Defensive-Coordinator-of-the-Year-125995909/

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Named 247's DCOTY

https://247sports.com/college/notre...-Defensive-Coordinator-of-the-Year-125995909/

$$$$$$$

 

[dad4aa]

Named 247's DCOTY

https://247sports.com/college/notre...-Defensive-Coordinator-of-the-Year-125995909/

Well deserved. Hopefully a nice increase in pay will come his way and we keep in a few more years

 

[Irish YJ]

happy for any award, but how big is "247's" award.

 

[Rack Em]

happy for any award, but how big is "247's" award.

On par with the Civil ConFLiCT trophy

 

[NDty9]

REALLLLY HOPE we take care of our truly valuable coaches! Granted, I know we did not want to get into a bidding war for Elko, and I get that. I just want to keep both Lea and Long very badly.

We know what we have in them is and will be special.... The consistency of keeping them around, and their schemes in place, would make them even more effective, imo.

Time to do like the big boys do, and pay these men!

 

[DONTH8]

happy for any award, but how big is "247's" award.

Comes with a bonus of 10,000 Schrute bucks. Good for 50 minutes of extra break time during lunch.

 

[Irish YJ]

On par with the Civil ConFLiCT trophy

yup...
nice to have, but i doubt it means auto raise.
hope he gets a raise anyway for the job he's done. everyone should after a 12-0 season (except maybe Polian lol).

 

[snoopdog]

Here's another douchey stat from McMurphy. Of course Tua is now 1 for 1 in the fourth quarter this season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tua Tagovailoa still has never thrown an incompletion in the 4th quarter this season</p>— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1058916681844703232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I haven't either

 

[Irish YJ]

Heard twice now in two days that Tosh was likely out at Bama after NSD. Didn't quiz the two buds on sources or anything, but one came from a Bama fan, one from a Tenn fan. Nothing on interwebz except a few articles about fans wanting to burn him at the stake, and one or two about Kirby going after him. One of the guys that mentioned it said potentially the NFL...

The reason I post here instead of in the SEC Open thread, is that one of the guys said ND may be worried about Bama poaching the wrong the coordinator lol.

Anyone else hear rumblings? Not a lot of coaching in the South (unless you count one year at WF), but is from the South, and played in the South.

This would really kill my 2019 outlook lol.

 

[StPaul_Irish]

Heard twice now in two days that Tosh was likely out at Bama after NSD. Didn't quiz the two buds on sources or anything, but one came from a Bama fan, one from a Tenn fan. Nothing on interwebz except a few articles about fans wanting to burn him at the stake, and one or two about Kirby going after him. One of the guys that mentioned it said potentially the NFL...

The reason I post here instead of in the SEC Open thread, is that one of the guys said ND may be worried about Bama poaching the wrong the coordinator lol.

Anyone else hear rumblings? Not a lot of coaching in the South (unless you count one year at WF), but is from the South, and played in the South.

This would really kill my 2019 outlook lol.

Slow news day IrishYJ ?