Clark Lea - Defensive Coordinator

[zelezo vlk]

is ND gonna pay Venables money??

My understanding is that Lea's pay isn't that far off. The staff at ISD seemed to think that Lea is paid up there, but nobody has any specifics.

 

[arrowryan]

is ND gonna pay Venables money??

1.) If they ever want to win another ring, they need to.

2.) I'm hoping with BK's new contract, they will pay his assistants more.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

My understanding is that Lea's pay isn't that far off. The staff at ISD seemed to think that Lea is paid up there, but nobody has any specifics.

Dignum et iustum est. Don't need the hoi polloi nosing around in our internal affairs.

 

[Luckylucci]

1.) If they ever want to win another ring, they need to.

2.) I'm hoping with BK's new contract, they will pay his assistants more.

I'm really interested in what the damn hold up is with making these announcements. Time to make these public. It can only help recruiting.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Vanderbilt is a terrible job and always will be. I guess the hope is that you make it into Duke under Cutcliff, but I think there is a 0% chance Lea would have that kind of success.

If he wants to coach there, he should do it for the last 5 years of his HC career, but the First five.

 

[irishknight35]

I'm really interested in what the damn hold up is with making these announcements. Time to make these public. It can only help recruiting.

Is there something else being worked on besides his 3 year extension that was announced during the Duke game?

https://notredame.rivals.com/news/notre-dame-contract-extension-with-brian-kelly-has-clear-mission#:~:text=With%20the%20University%20of%20Notre,longest%20tenure%20at%20the%20program.

 

[Luckylucci]

Is there something else being worked on besides his 3 year extension that was announced during the Duke game?

https://notredame.rivals.com/news/notre-dame-contract-extension-with-brian-kelly-has-clear-mission#:~:text=With%20the%20University%20of%20Notre,longest%20tenure%20at%20the%20program.

After last season and pre-Covid, when asked about the extension his language seemed pretty straightforward that it wasn’t about numbers as much as additions he wanted to the program. Maybe that changed but I haven’t seen anything about it.

 

[ulukinatme]

Don't get me wrong, Lea is good. But is he worth DON BROWN money?

I mean, Don Brown isn't worth Don Brown money

 

[Ndaccountant]

I mean, Don Brown isn't worth Don Brown money

Only to michigan

 

[Rogue219]

You know who wants ND to pay Clark Lea Venables money?

Venables, that's who.

 

[Huntr]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brian Kelly asked about Clark Lea’s future. <br><br>Said Lea will see this season through and doesn’t believe interest from Vanderbilt is any kind of distraction for Notre Dame. Calls Lea a “professional” more than once.</p>— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteSampson_/status/1338249148873715715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2020</a>

This was during the Kelly-Swinney press conf yesterday.

 

[Wingman Ray]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brian Kelly asked about Clark Lea’s future. <br><br>Said Lea will see this season through and doesn’t believe interest from Vanderbilt is any kind of distraction for Notre Dame. Calls Lea a “professional” more than once.</p>— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteSampson_/status/1338249148873715715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2020</a>

This was during the Kelly-Swinney press conf yesterday.

Which means nothing. See the season through. Not groundbreaking here. It isnt like he would be going anywhere to HC that has a post season future.

Hopefully ND has been working something no one knows anything about that is going to keep this guy around for a long time.

 

[tko]

We'll know in the first few series if Lea is leaving or not. The balloon will be either full or deflated and "distraction" will be evident.

 

[Free Manera]

Not to sandbag but I don't see any way that Lea goes from DC at ND to HC at ND. He has to make a stop. The best we could hope for is he goes somewhere like Vandy and they keep him warm for us.

I was hoping that we could keep him for one more year but he is definitely going at some point. Kelly is sticking around for another 5 years or so. Who knows, what if Kelly stays for 10 more?

That is why "coach-in-waiting" doesn't work unless it is imminent, i.e. at the end of this season. The guy waiting isn't going to just sit there with no end in sight.

 

[Irish YJ]

Don't get me wrong, I know he needs a stop, and I know he deserves a shot.

That said, Vandy just seems like a bad option.

 

[Free Manera]

Don't get me wrong, I know he needs a stop, and I know he deserves a shot.

That said, Vandy just seems like a bad option.

I thought that initially. Then after more thought I kind of reversed course.

There is very little pressure there. Mason was there since 2013. He won 3, 4, 6, 5, 6, 3, and 0 games. He won 1.4 conference games per year. They clearly nosedived the last couple years and it was time to move on. So basically it takes winning 3 games over 2 years to get the boot.

Lea is their boy, so he will get treated right. By all accounts he is about developing kids, not just football players. Vandy is conducive to that and I think he will have support.

It seems like a great place for him to go, from ND's perspective. They won't compete with the opportunity or money that ND can provide, so ND will have the upper hand in bringing him back when the time is right.

 

[Ndaccountant]

We'll know in the first few series if Lea is leaving or not. The balloon will be either full or deflated and "distraction" will be evident.

I would give it until the game gets to the middle third. It took a bit of time to get NC under control. A couple games this year it has been about two series until the defense shuts it down.

 

[Huntr]

Don't get me wrong, I know he needs a stop, and I know he deserves a shot.

That said, Vandy just seems like a bad option.

Vandy is the perfect option if your goal is to become the ND head coach when Kelly retires.

The only expectation is to win *some* games, graduate the kids and keep the program clean. They don't even have to win 9 games every year, just go to bowls most years and jump up to 8-9 wins occasionally. Franklin was there 3 years, won 9 games twice(6-7, 9-4, , 9-4). Lea can most certainly win 6 games every year and 8-9 games a couple of times in 5 years there.

BK retires, he slides in as head coach at ND easy peasy.

 

[Irish YJ]

Vandy is the perfect option if your goal is to become the ND head coach when Kelly retires.

The only expectation is to win *some* games, graduate the kids and keep the program clean. They don't even have to win 9 games every year, just go to bowls most years and jump up to 8-9 wins occasionally. Franklin was there 3 years, won 9 games twice(6-7, 9-4, , 9-4). Lea can most certainly win 6 games every year and 8-9 games a couple of times in 5 years there.

BK retires, he slides in as head coach at ND easy peasy.

I don't disagree with some of the above, I just think there are better options. I'd also point out that he, as a D coach, would be expected to do well at least on the D side of the ball. Perhaps he could, but that's also pretty tough going against some of the SEC teams given what the talent disparity will be.

We complain at times about our inability to get studs on D at ND, but honestly we'll always be able to get better than Vandy, so the job will be much much harder. If he goes there, and his D is getting obliterated by UGA, FL, Bama, etc., that won't be a good look. Heck, I'd go to TN before Vandy any day. They at least have good facilities, $, fanbase, and a school committed to football.

 

[Dizzyphil]

When I called into the local radio sports talk (104.5 Midday 180) and how whomever is hired won't be there long if they do turn around the Vandy team to winning again and toughness of recruiting....



I told them I understood the hardships of recruiting (being an Irish fan) when you are strapped by grades -basically recruiting Pre-Med / Pre-Law types students grade-wise and the difficulties of getting 5*s....


They told me I was an idiot stating to 'look at their Majors, it's not pre-law pre-med.... and that they would be happy with a 3-4 year coach using Vandy as a stepping stone...


Totally taking my words and twisting them and taking my meaning of how hard it is to recruit in High Academic Standard schools....


Now I know why 'Fake News' is so prevalent these days......

 

[IrishLion]

We'll know in the first few series if Lea is leaving or not. The balloon will be either full or deflated and "distraction" will be evident.

I would give it until the game gets to the middle third. It took a bit of time to get NC under control. A couple games this year it has been about two series until the defense shuts it down.

Lea was in the thick of the interview process last season for the BC job, but that didn't distract him enough to keep the defense from making ISU look like a bunch of toddlers.

Even if Lea has agreed to a job in principle or something like that, I have no doubt that he's going to have the unit ready for Clemson without any issues, outside of the usual early adjustments that Ndaccountant mentioned.

(The unit actually executing against Lawrence, Etienne and Clemson is a different story... but Lea won't be the reason they have a bad day if Clemson scores 40+ again)

 

[Dizzyphil]

<samp class="EmbedCode-container"><code class="EmbedCode-code"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m hearing that Vanderbilt is down to 3 candidates. Will Healy is not among those. I think Clark Lea and Lance Leipold are the front runners. I think Clark Lea gets the job, but we’ll see.</p>— Brent Dougherty (@brentdougherty) <a href="https://twitter.com/brentdougherty/status/1338511753152524289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </code></samp>

 

[dublinirish]

Leipold a better fit for Illinois. He should be looking there rather than Vandy

 

[Irish YJ]

<samp class="EmbedCode-container"><code class="EmbedCode-code"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m hearing that Vanderbilt is down to 3 candidates. Will Healy is not among those. I think Clark Lea and Lance Leipold are the front runners. I think Clark Lea gets the job, but we’ll see.</p>— Brent Dougherty (@brentdougherty) <a href="https://twitter.com/brentdougherty/status/1338511753152524289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </code></samp>

What LL has done in Buffalo is impressive. Chatter is that Vandy also wanted an O coach, which he checks that box.

My money is on LL. If Vandy doesn't get him, someone else will. He's also a candidate for IL.

145-38 record and

Accomplishments and honors
Championships
6 NCAA Division III (2007, 2009–2011, 2013–2014)
7 WIAC (2007–2011, 2013–2014)
2 MAC East Division (2018, 2020)

Awards
6× AFCA Division III COY (2007, 2009–2011, 2013–2014)
3× WIAC Coach of the Year (2009–2011)
MAC Coach of the Year (2018)

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

I would hate to see Lea go, but if he does get the Vandy job...

1) Good for him and well deserved

2) I hope he gets a higher salary than Elko has, because karma

3) I still think Vandy should run triple option.

 

[dublinirish]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> D-coordinator Clark Lea emerging as the top target to become <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vanderbilt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vanderbilt</a>'s next head coach, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/ClowESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ClowESPN</a>. Lea is a Nashville native who played at Vandy. I'm hearing the hire will be finalized before midweek. Buffalo's Lance Leipold also among those considered</p>— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNRittenberg/status/1338513962216738817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
he gone

 

[rtrn2glory]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> D-coordinator Clark Lea emerging as the top target to become <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vanderbilt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vanderbilt</a>'s next head coach, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/ClowESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ClowESPN</a>. Lea is a Nashville native who played at Vandy. I'm hearing the hire will be finalized before midweek. Buffalo's Lance Leipold also among those considered</p>— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNRittenberg/status/1338513962216738817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
he gone

good for him if that's what he wants.

 

[Rogue219]

Leipold a better fit for Illinois. He should be looking there rather than Vandy

Agreed. I'm sure he'll get a shot at it, too.

 

[dublinirish]

good for him if that's what he wants.

very very interested to see the length of contract he gets/asks for

 

[ThePiombino]

I has a sad.

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