Clark Lea - Defensive Coordinator

Luckylucci

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This is part of the process. For both sides. Then Kelly can, hopefully, take this to the higher ups and say, look this is a wanted man and we need to keep him.
 

notredomer23

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Not even because I want Lea to stay here, but I really hope they hire Jeff Fisher for the comedy aspect it'll bring the SEC. 6-6 every season with upsetting a ranked team every year, but losing to an FCS team as well.
 
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StPaul_Irish

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Pretty sure Driskell has a "source" and knows how the interview went down per his Twatter account.
 

DONALDIII

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Sounds like they're just reaching out to people for interest. No way you take Lea over some of those names.
 

BobbyMac

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Still the DC? Yes.

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Dizzyphil

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I hope they stick with their word and go after an offensive minded coach




Local sports radio states Candice Lee (AD) is going through the motions. Todd Fitch right now is the HC and He's 56 years old.... he's not 'old' but, they would like some young talent come in and build Vandy to be a 'contender' like when Frankin was there... He beat TN... but TN hasn't been a very good team the past ten years... TN vs. Vandy past 8 games is 4-4



Her statement earlier included covering 'all avenues' for a HC but, she wants Vandy to be competitive and the only way based on the direction of the SEC is an 'Offensive' mind-set. Although she wasn't opposed to a former/current DC taking over as HC, "...it didn't work out last coach..."
 
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Ndaccountant

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I would be surprised if 1) he ultimately was offered and 2) he accepts.

Clark Lea maybe gets one shot at being a HC. I wouldn't hitch my wagon to Vandy. BC last year would have been much more reasonable. He should aim higher.
 

tko

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I would be surprised if 1) he ultimately was offered and 2) he accepts.

Clark Lea maybe gets one shot at being a HC. I wouldn't hitch my wagon to Vandy. BC last year would have been much more reasonable. He should aim higher.

Bob Diaco exhibit A
 

rtrn2glory

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I just think it would be bad for him due to the fact of how hard it is to win there. honestly, idk how Franklin has so many people fooled after what he did there. His personality has gotten him to Penn St and honestly I've never thought too highly of him as a coach.
 

NDMIA

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Jeff Monken, 53yo, Army HC
Jamey Chadwell, 43yo, Coastal Carolina HC
Will Healy, 35yo, UNC Charlotte HC
Clark Lea, 38yo, Notre Dame DC

Per John Brice of Football Scoop

Candice Lee, AD of Vandy, has mentioned speaking to those 4 guys. Maybe eventually more but that’s 3 offensive minds and Clark Lea. Monken would bring the triple option to the SEC which would be interesting to see. Chadwell and Healy are both young and successful HC’s. I think Lea is the best fit but I really hope he doesn’t get offered/take the job cause I’d selfishly like to see him at ND for several more years if possible. Hopefully BK makes him one of the top paid DC’s in football. If ND wants to be a championship level squad then it’s time to compensate and keep elite coaches on staff with the benefit of a big salary. Lea doesn’t strike me as someone who’s chasing money but $1.5M+ a year would make him a top 10 paid DC in the country and maybe more likely to hold out for a bigger power 5 job.
 

GowerND11

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Not even because I want Lea to stay here, but I really hope they hire Jeff Fisher for the comedy aspect it'll bring the SEC. 6-6 every season with upsetting a ranked team every year, but losing to an FCS team as well.

Literally this! It would be wild.
 

irish4ever

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I would be surprised if 1) he ultimately was offered and 2) he accepts.

Clark Lea maybe gets one shot at being a HC. I wouldn't hitch my wagon to Vandy. BC last year would have been much more reasonable. He should aim higher.

As in ND?
 

spoonidentity

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Question: What is the salary level ND would go to for Lea as a Defensive Coordinator? If I remember correctly, Mike Elko got a pay bump to $1.5 million from Notre Dame before he went back and got a counter offer from Texas A&M and tried to get a re-raise from ND...and then they told him to kick rocks. Granted, Elko had 9 years of DC experience at BGSU, Wake Forest, and then ND before that. Would ND go to that level with Clark Lea and his 3 years of experience? We know they have (...or had...) the money to offer $1.5 million. But is he worth more than that? $1.8 million? $2 million? BK got an extension last year and they almost always have increased allotments for assistant salaries.

Clark Lea is a known commodity, he is an excellent coach, and he adapts to his personnel. He just fits in - but how much would you offer him to stay?
 

NDRock

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Question: What is the salary level ND would go to for Lea as a Defensive Coordinator? If I remember correctly, Mike Elko got a pay bump to $1.5 million from Notre Dame before he went back and got a counter offer from Texas A&M and tried to get a re-raise from ND...and then they told him to kick rocks. Granted, Elko had 9 years of DC experience at BGSU, Wake Forest, and then ND before that. Would ND go to that level with Clark Lea and his 3 years of experience? We know they have (...or had...) the money to offer $1.5 million. But is he worth more than that? $1.8 million? $2 million? BK got an extension last year and they almost always have increased allotments for assistant salaries.

Clark Lea is a known commodity, he is an excellent coach, and he adapts to his personnel. He just fits in - but how much would you offer him to stay?

I doubt it matters. He seems to want to be a HC and if he gets an offer then he's probably gone. Money won't matter. He should be paid like a top 10 DC though, he deserves. it.
 

GowerND11

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Question: What is the salary level ND would go to for Lea as a Defensive Coordinator? If I remember correctly, Mike Elko got a pay bump to $1.5 million from Notre Dame before he went back and got a counter offer from Texas A&M and tried to get a re-raise from ND...and then they told him to kick rocks. Granted, Elko had 9 years of DC experience at BGSU, Wake Forest, and then ND before that. Would ND go to that level with Clark Lea and his 3 years of experience? We know they have (...or had...) the money to offer $1.5 million. But is he worth more than that? $1.8 million? $2 million? BK got an extension last year and they almost always have increased allotments for assistant salaries.

Clark Lea is a known commodity, he is an excellent coach, and he adapts to his personnel. He just fits in - but how much would you offer him to stay?

The key here is, I don't think you have to outbid a place making him HC, just make it that turning down a HC position results in still a pay bump. So for instance, say Vandy offers him $3 million... does $1.8 million offset that risk that comes with the $3 million at Vandy?

He might only get 3 years at Vandy, but could get 2 more at ND then springboard to a HC position elsewhere (or at ND) which would bolster his overall earnings.
 

NDMIA

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No idea if there’s others I’m missing on the list but here are the highest paid DC’s in the country for 2020. Hasn’t been a list coming out of the biggest salaries yet so I might be missing a dude

Kevin Steele - $2.5M
Brent Venables - $2.4M
Bo Pelini - $2.3M
Mike Elko - $2.1M
Alex Grinch - $1.8M
Don Brown - $1.7M
Todd Grantham - $1.6M

Basically Lea should definitely be making between $1.5-$2.5M a year by next season if he’s still around. Dude is definitely one of the top DC’s in the country if not the top DC in the country. Can’t believe Bo Pelini makes $2.3M a year at LSU. That’s wild.
 
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