Clark Lea - Defensive Coordinator

[NDRock]

Yes, though it was a pretty huge miss. Single-handedly sunk four seasons (including the best offense we'd fielded in decades in 2014) and nearly cost Kelly his job.

Echoing Lax's post above, replacing a successful coordinator is a huge risk, particularly for a program like ours that's on the cusp of reaching sustainable high-level success. The anxiety our fans feel about losing Lea is very well-founded.

Agree. Also think we have a smaller margin for error compared to the talent rich schools like Ohio State, Bama, Clemson, Georgia, etc. Being able to recruit and develop to your system is critical, which is why turnover always makes me nervous.

We’ve always struggled to have a Notre Dame philosophy. Offensively we’ve gone from option, to west coast, to pro set, to a passing spread. We’re finally settled on the best option IMO, which is more power football based.

Defensively, we’ve also been all over the map. Just going back to the Corbin Brown days we’ve gone from a 3-4, to an aggressive 4-3 (Tenuta), back to a 3-4 under Diaco, then an aggressive 4-3 under BVG, to the system we have now.

Hopefully going forward we can continue with our current philosophy on both sides of the ball. It’s the one we’ve recruited and developed for and will give ND the best chance of continued success.

 

[Rogue219]

Last year Lea wasn't even a finalist for the Broyles Award, right?

This year I can't see how anyone else gets it but him unless Syracuse scores 70 points on ND.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

"Make Lea the coach in waiting" - ND fans

"Fools, Reesus has already been offered his seat on his Rightful Throne!" - me

 

[Irishize]

I wonder if Lea being who he is, makes it any easier to pony up the cash needed to keep him. Is that taken into account at all? I mean, there is a stark difference in paying a football coach like BVG 2M/year versus a guy like Lea. Lea oozes role model. BVG oozes old spice. We can't let this guy go without a sufficient fight.

I think this is what it comes down to. Lea obviously has a place in his heart for his Alma mater. He has stated as much to reporters like Pete Sampson (who FWIW believes Lea accepts the HC gig if Vandy offers). Lea is also a perfect “role model” for everything ND espouses in their athletic program. Culture, doing things the right way, remaining above the fray, etc.

Hopefully, the aforementioned is what gives Swarbrick & others the confidence to loosen the purse strings for a coordinator. Other than that, I’m not confident ND will pony up to keep him. Not that they can’t afford it (pandemic or not) but that they choose not to. Again, Lea’s resume/makeup should change the calculus on that decision b/c it’s truly an investment.

IF Lea leaves, Freeman should be their first call. If he’s committed to Fickell, ND needs to survey the landscape of option including Mike Elston. He’s one of the best DL coaches in the country & seems more than ready to be a HC. That said, he’s never been a coordinator over an entire defense. Is that something he aspires to do or is he content w/ remaining on the current track of becoming a HC somewhere?

 

[Irishize]

What I know from radio, local news outlets and interview with Vandy AD -



Top Picks in order Vandy is going based on a Chad Withrow - close to Vandy resources:


<samp class="EmbedCode-container"><code class="EmbedCode-code"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My Top 10 for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vandy?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vandy</a> job :<br><br>1) Monken<br>2) Niumatalolo<br>3) Healy<br>4) Lea<br>5) Chadwell<br>6) Huff<br>7) Lashley<br>8) Gattis<br>9) Elliott<br>10) The Stache</p>— Chad Withrow (@withrowzone) <a href="https://twitter.com/withrowzone/status/1333839552390295554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </code></samp>

I’d go w/ Healy or Chadwell if either were interested. Chadwell has a really intriguing offense that incorporates some triple option while still possessing traditional passing concepts.

 

[ulukinatme]

Pretty much just BVG, correct? Diaco was good, Elko/Lea have proven to be very good.

Maybe so many was a bit hasty, but Diaco was up and down too. He had a magical year in 2012, but failed hardcore to recruit the two positions that are absolutely critical to 3-4 success: MLB and NT. Once Big Lou and Manti were gone, the writing was on the wall. He knew his defense was going to under-perform after 2013 so he got out of dodge. Diaco hasn't really lit the world on fire since that 2012 season, and a lot of things had to come together for that season to happen as it did.

So I say Kelly was 0-2 on DCs in hindsight. If we go back farther in ND's history, Weis certainly didn't have much success with coaching on the defensive side on the ball. Willingham had a decent season in his first year, but you have to wonder how much of that was the talent Davie brought in and the chip they had on their shoulders (The '02 team referenced the disrespect from "Under the Tarnished Dome" and other sources like Sports Illustrated).

 

[NDRock]

Maybe so many was a bit hasty, but Diaco was up and down too. He had a magical year in 2012, but failed hardcore to recruit the two positions that are absolutely critical to 3-4 success: MLB and NT. Once Big Lou and Manti were gone, the writing was on the wall. He knew his defense was going to under-perform after 2013 so he got out of dodge. Diaco hasn't really lit the world on fire since that 2012 season, and a lot of things had to come together for that season to happen as it did.

So I say Kelly was 0-2 on DCs in hindsight. If we go back farther in ND's history, Weis certainly didn't have much success with coaching on the defensive side on the ball. Willingham had a decent season in his first year, but you have to wonder how much of that was the talent Davie brought in and the chip they had on their shoulders (The '02 team referenced the disrespect from "Under the Tarnished Dome" and other sources like Sports Illustrated).

I'm a little more bullish on Diaco. Thought he was our best DC in years, though was not without faults. Guess I would grade them:

Diaco B-
BVG D- (UM shutout keeps him from failing)
Elko/Lea A

 

[NorthDakota]

I'm a little more bullish on Diaco. Thought he was our best DC in years, though was not without faults. Guess I would grade them:

Diaco B-
BVG D- (UM shutout keeps him from failing)
Elko/Lea A

Michigan shutout was the single most amusing night of my life. For that I will be eternally grateful.

 

[Rogue219]

I'm a little more bullish on Diaco. Thought he was our best DC in years, though was not without faults. Guess I would grade them:

Diaco B-
BVG D- (UM shutout keeps him from failing)
Elko/Lea A

A lot of the flak Diaco gets from us as a fanbase is in hindsight. In 2010, after that loss to Navy and Tulsa, his defenses took a big turn for the better. 2011 had it's moments, but 2012 was obviously what propelled him and Martin into HC gigs.

Defense under Weis was such a mess for those five years. Diaco came in and at least got them to be solid at worst. He didn't leave the cupboard all that well stocked, however, and that hurt after he left. I really don't know what he's accomplished since then other than agitating fan bases of wherever he's been employed since.

I didn't like the BVG hire when it happened. Just awful. Elko was a home run hire for sure and keeping Lea was a better result than I would have thought.

I just don't get too high or low on these assistants anymore. They come, they go, they have good games and bad.

 

[IrishLax]

Michigan shutout was the single most amusing night of my life. For that I will be eternally grateful.

#RememberTheSix

 

[Rogue219]

I’d go w/ Healy or Chadwell if either were interested. Chadwell has a really intriguing offense that incorporates some triple option while still possessing traditional passing concepts.

Chadwell is 43 years old and is in year three at Coastal Carolina. He did good work at Charleston Southern in the FCS.

He has them turned around quick in Year 2, so his stock may not be higher. Tempting hire for sure since he's a Tennessee guy.

Surprised Billy Napier isn't on that list. He's also a Tennessee guy.

 

[BeauBenken]

Why nobody looking at Lance Leipold? Buffalo might run the table in the MAC this year. (And pretty easily, I might add.)

 

[Rogue219]

Why nobody looking at Lance Leipold? Buffalo might run the table in the MAC this year. (And pretty easily, I might add.)

I have seen his name pop up here and there. He's 56, which is the same age as Urban Meyer.

I think he could go to a program like Illinois and have then bowl eligble every year, which for them is total gravy.

Not sure if he'd be a fit at South Carolina, Vanderbilt or Utah State. Those are the three jobs open at the moment.

 

[Wingman Ray]

I'm a little more bullish on Diaco. Thought he was our best DC in years, though was not without faults. Guess I would grade them:

Diaco B-
BVG D- (UM shutout keeps him from failing)
Elko/Lea A

I just remember that Bama center talking about how simple the ND defense was to figure out and adjust against. And he wasnt saying it insulting either. That to me showed Diaco shouldnt have been running a Nat Champ level defense.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Yeh, Barton Jones or whatever his name was (Third team All-American.) He indicated that they knew exactly where every ND player would be standing at the snap of every play. This was because Diaco ran a mechanical clock defense based upon geometry and force vectors. If the opponent tried to just go mano-a-mano, the geometry was stacked against them. This abstract geometry worked as long as the opponent couldn't examine the details too closely.

Here, for me, is the hidden secret of that championship game. All that extra bowl prep time that Saban had allowed a play-by-play preparation that no team could ordinarily have. By indicating that they knew "Exactly" where every defender would be, this allowed that OLine and other blockers to so fine tune timing and angles that even a guy like Nix, who pushed Jones around, was still not in the play. We weren't THAT poorer a team than Alabama. --- not with a normal week's prep time.

The "dominance" of the Alabama running game WAS dominant, but wouldn't have been nearly so much if they didn't have a month to plan against a non-changing clock. That circumstance grated on me from the moment Jones revealed what had gone on. It is the greatest case I know of bending a game result way out of shape due to a bizarre combination of style and circumstance.

 

[Irish YJ]

Why nobody looking at Lance Leipold? Buffalo might run the table in the MAC this year. (And pretty easily, I might add.)

Kent put up 41 on them, but Buffalo still beat them by 29. WMU should be their biggest test in the MAC-C, but agreed, Buffalo should win. I'm still holding out hope Ball St somehow beats WMU and CMU to get to the MAC-C, but that's a lot to ask.

 

[SoIll]

better hope Hafley doesn't get a better gig.

 

[BeauBenken]

Kent put up 41 on them, but Buffalo still beat them by 29. WMU should be their biggest test in the MAC-C, but agreed, Buffalo should win. I'm still holding out hope Ball St somehow beats WMU and CMU to get to the MAC-C, but that's a lot to ask.

Hah. Mike Neu end with a winning record? Hasn't happened in four years.

 

[Irish YJ]

Hah. Mike Neu end with a winning record? Hasn't happened in four years.

A boy can dream lol.

3-1 right now. I was surprised they beat Toledo, who barely lost to WMU. Next two games will be interesting.

 

[Irishize]

Chadwell is 43 years old and is in year three at Coastal Carolina. He did good work at Charleston Southern in the FCS.

He has them turned around quick in Year 2, so his stock may not be higher. Tempting hire for sure since he's a Tennessee guy.

Surprised Billy Napier isn't on that list. He's also a Tennessee guy.

Tbh, they’d all be better off holding out for better gigs. So Carolina seems a good fit for both those guys too w/ their respective backgrounds in that state.

ONe of the reasons Vandy reportedly fired Mason during the season was to lock up a hire before the early signing period. That’s what would concern me w/ Lea trying to game plan for the ACC title game which is three days after the early signing period. Then what happens for the CFP?

 

[ulukinatme]

Dang it...alright, put Flutie back in the booth. Wait, what am I saying???

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tony Dungy: "I'm going to say this on our broadcast on Saturday. Any athletic director who's listening to the broadcast, if you have a coaching vacancy and you're looking for someone to hire, I would hire Clark Lea so fast."<a href="https://t.co/zJZgamKNzG">https://t.co/zJZgamKNzG</a></p>— Tyler James ���� (@TJamesNDI) <a href="https://twitter.com/TJamesNDI/status/1334248475857448960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Funny enough, Dungy pops into that thread to comment lol

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I hear you Irish fans. And I appreciate what you’re thinking.</p>— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyDungy/status/1334281963289665538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


He gone.

 

[Irish8248]

Good thing its Syracuse on NBC.... I can't imagine too many people are watching outside of Irish and cuse fans.

And the internet? Is that thing still around?

 

[Rogue219]

Tbh, they’d all be better off holding out for better gigs. So Carolina seems a good fit for both those guys too w/ their respective backgrounds in that state.

South Carolina won when Holtz and Spurrier were there. Those are legends at other schools. Clemson probably isn't making life easy for them.

Better job than Vanderbilt? Yes. I think you have a better chance to win there than at Vanderbilt.

 

[hungryhippo]

Lea oozes role model. BVG oozes old spice.

Perfect.

 

[Rogue219]

I just remember that Bama center talking about how simple the ND defense was to figure out and adjust against. And he wasnt saying it insulting either. That to me showed Diaco shouldnt have been running a Nat Champ level defense.

BFD. I remember him saying it, too. Diaco gave ND actual results defensively, something we hadn't seen a long time. They played for a title and were legit contenders for the first time since 1993. Then we saw Diaco leave and had to endure the BVG trainwreck.

ND was playing Alabama in that game with little depth and injured players on both sides of the ball. The Bama center didn't have to endure the defenses we had to watch under Willingham and Weis. Diaco had those guys pretty solid after he lost to Navy and Tulsa back to back that first year.

So much of the criticism Diaco takes is in hindsight. Think about where we were when Weis got fired and where we were leading up to that National Championship Game in 2012 defensively. We wasn't perfect, but man he was better than what we'd seen for a long ass time. I still look back at that season fondly and just being able to believe again on Saturdays wasn't so damn bad.

 

[NDRock]

BFD. I remember him saying it, too. Diaco gave ND actual results defensively, something we hadn't seen a long time. They played for a title and were legit contenders for the first time since 1993. Then we saw Diaco leave and had to endure the BVG trainwreck.

ND was playing Alabama in that game with little depth and injured players on both sides of the ball. The Bama center didn't have to endure the defenses we had to watch under Willingham and Weis. Diaco had those guys pretty solid after he lost to Navy and Tulsa back to back that first year.

So much of the criticism Diaco takes is in hindsight. Think about where we were when Weis got fired and where we were leading up to that National Championship Game in 2012 defensively. We wasn't perfect, but man he was better than what we'd seen for a long ass time. I still look back at that season fondly and just being able to believe again on Saturdays wasn't so damn bad.

Yep. Defense was never the problem when Diaco was here (was the strength of the team), it was the offense that struggled. Our OCs were pretty poor during the Diaco years, although Kelly shares some of the blame.

 

[Dizzyphil]

Maybe some pressure taken off Lea... Eddie Gran is actually a very good coach. Kind of perplexed by this move.


<samp class="EmbedCode-container"><code class="EmbedCode-code"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kentucky announces that it has fired OC Eddie Gran and QB coach Darin Hinshaw.</p>— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/1335640036662943745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </code></samp>

 

[dublinirish]

https://broylesaward.com/posts/broyles-award-announces-2020-nominees

ITTLE ROCK, Ark. (December 8, 2020) – The Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2020 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coaches.

The 56 nominees in this year’s class were selected from approximately 1,270 assistant coaches representing 127 Division One programs across the country. The Broyles Award selection process includes the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), broadcasters, a college football hall-of-fame selection committee and current college head coaches.

The nominees include:

ALABAMA – Steve Sarkisian, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
APP STATE – James Rowe, Cornerbacks
ARKANSAS – Barry Odom, Defensive Coordinator / S
AUBURN – Larry Porter, Special Teams Coordinator / TE
BALL STATE – Tyler Stockton, Defensive Coordinator / Inside LB
BOISE STATE – Eric Kiesau, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
BUFFALO – Scott Fuchs, Offensive Line
BYU – Jeff Grimes, Offensive Coordinator
CENTRAL MICHIGAN – Robb Akey, Defensive Coordinator
CINCINNATI – Marcus Freeman, Defensive Coordinator / LB
CLEMSON – Brandon Streeter, Passing Game Coordinator / QBs
COASTAL CAROLINA – Chad Staggs, Defensive Coordinator / LB
COLORADO – Tyson Summers, Defensive Coordinator
COLORADO STATE – Chuck Heater, Defensive Coordinator / S
FLORIDA – Brian Johnson, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
FRESNO STATE – Ryan Grubb, Assoc. Head Coach / OC / QBs
GEORGIA – Dan Lanning, Defensive Coordinator / Outside LB
GEORGIA SOUTHERN – Chris Foster, Running Backs
GEORGIA STATE – Trent McKnight, Receivers
GEORGIA TECH – Brent Key, Run Game Coordinator / OL
INDIANA – Kane Wommack, Defensive Coordinator / LB
IOWA – Phil Parker, Defensive Coordinator / Secondaries
IOWA STATE – Tom Manning, Offensive Coordinator / TE
KENTUCKY – John Schlarman, Offensive Line
LIBERTY – Scott Symons, Defensive Coordinator / LB
LOUISIANA – Patrick Toney, Defensive Coordinator / S
LOUISIANA TECH – John Allen, Outside Receivers
MARSHALL – Brad Lambert, Defensive Coordinator / S
MARYLAND – Jon Hoke, Defensive Coordinator / DB
MIAMI – Rhett Lashlee, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
MISSISSIPPI STATE – Zach Arnett, Defensive Coordinator / LB
MIZZOU – Marcus Johnson, Offensive Line
NC STATE – Tim Beck, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
NEVADA – Matt Mumme, Offensive Coordinator
NORTH TEXAS – Mike Bloesch, Co-Offensive Coordinator / OL
NORTHWESTERN – Mike Hankwitz, Defensive Coordinator
NOTRE DAME – Clark Lea, Defensive Coordinator / LB
OHIO STATE – Brian Hartline, Wide Receivers
OKLAHOMA – Calvin Thibodeaux, Defensive Line
OKLAHOMA STATE – Jim Knowles, Defensive Coordinator / LB
OLE MISS – Jeff Lebby, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
OREGON – Joe Moorhead, Offensive Coordinator
OREGON STATE – Michael Pitre, Running Backs
RUTGERS – Sean Gleeson, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
SAN DIEGO STATE – Kurt Mattix, Defensive Coordinator / LB
SAN JOSÉ STATE – Alonzo Carter, Running Backs
SMU – A.J. Ricker, Co-Offensive Coordinator / OL
USC – Todd Orlando, Defensive Coordinator
TEXAS A&M – Mike Elko, Defensive Coordinator / S
TULSA – Joseph Gillespie, Defensive Coordinator / LB
UCF – Darrell Wyatt, Wide Receivers
ARMY – Sean Saturnio, Special Teams
WAKE FOREST – Dave Cohen, Assistant head Coach for Defense / DL
WEST VIRGINIA – Jordan Lesley, Defensive Line
WESTERN KENTUCKY – Clayton White, Defensive Coordinator / CB
WISCONSIN – Jim Leonhard, Defensive Coordinator

Guessing its limited to 1 coach per school but Tommy got shafted

 

[ab2cmiller]

I see Tyler Stockton on that list

 

[dublinirish]

I see Tyler Stockton on that list

ah gawd don't be talking up Ball State on here we'll never hear the end of it