Clark Lea - Defensive Coordinator

dublinirish · Dec 12, 2024

big change in how Vandy is recruiting the portal this window

Jiggafini19Deux · Dec 12, 2024

Free Manera said:
I'm not sure if I'm making this up but I feel like it has been reported he is not an upward mobility kind of guy. Really happy to be at Vanderbilt coaching those kinds of kids. If ND came calling when Freeman goes to the Bears he could maybe jump ship.

As DC.

LOL

Jiggafini19Deux · Dec 28, 2024

Clark Lea hired Jerry Kill as a consultant this season. They went from 2-10 to 7-6.

Jerry Kill flat out knows ball, and Clark Lea had the presence of mind to bring him into this program. It made all of the difference.

BabyIrish · Dec 28, 2024

Jiggafini19Deux said:
Clark Lea hired Jerry Kill as a consultant this season. They went from 2-10 to 7-6.

Jerry Kill flat out knows ball, and Clark Lea had the presence of mind to bring him into this program. It made all of the difference.

Apparently Kill coming over to Vandy was a big reason the QB transferred in and will be the determining factor for him remaining next year.

Rockin’Irish · Dec 28, 2024

Jiggafini19Deux said:
Clark Lea hired Jerry Kill as a consultant this season. They went from 2-10 to 7-6.

Jerry Kill flat out knows ball, and Clark Lea had the presence of mind to bring him into this program. It made all of the difference.

Always thought Jerry Kill was an excellent coach with health issues that have limited his success.

Dale · Dec 28, 2024

Kill is basically the offensive HC and Lea the defensive HC

IrishSteelhead · Dec 28, 2024

Rockin’Irish said:
Always thought Jerry Kill was an excellent coach with health issues that have limited his success.

He would have been the perfect hire for Purdue, assuming he even wants to be a HC again.

Old head, won’t create a mega ceiling, but will build a competitive team capable of wining 7 games a year, exactly what Purdue needs right now.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Jiggafini19Deux · Dec 28, 2024

Rockin’Irish said:
Always thought Jerry Kill was an excellent coach with health issues that have limited his success.

Agreed. Watched him work with two state directional schools here and the transition for both was pretty seamless. The NIU team that went to the Orange Bowl had his fingerprints all over it.

Dude can coach ball.

dublinirish · Mar 3, 2025

SWirishfan · Mar 3, 2025

dublinirish said:

How can 1 be the DC and the other is the Co-DC?
If one is Co-DC, doesn't that make them both Co-DCs?

GowerND11 · Mar 3, 2025

SWirishfan said:
How can 1 be the DC and the other is the Co-DC?
If one is Co-DC, doesn't that make them both Co-DCs?

Co-Assistant-to-the-DC

Calabrese's People · Mar 3, 2025

SWirishfan said:
How can 1 be the DC and the other is the Co-DC?
If one is Co-DC, doesn't that make them both Co-DCs?

Assistant to the Travelling DC?

dublinirish · Aug 1, 2025

ulukinatme · Aug 2, 2025

dublinirish said:

I think Lea's lost his marbles if he thinks Vandy should be the best program in the country, but I'd love to see more of the Vandy Pimp in SEC Shorts so...yeah, win a lot of games, Fighting Commodores! Just not more than us.

GowerND11 · Aug 3, 2025

ulukinatme said:
I think Lea's lost his marbles if he thinks Vandy should be the best program in the country, but I'd love to see more of the Vandy Pimp in SEC Shorts so...yeah, win a lot of games, Fighting Commodores! Just not more than us.

That’s one sentence pulled purposefully from one talking head/interview to get reactions like yours.

What’s the context? Also, notice how he says “should,” but not “is,” “will be,” etc. In a way, he has a point. Amazing academics that can lure in smart players a la ND, AND it’s in the south playing in the SEC. It absolutely could be, based on just those two factors. We all know there’s many more factors that limit why it isn’t, but he does have a point. Throw in Lea himself, such a great dude and yeah.

Veritate Duce Progredi · Aug 3, 2025

Vandy would make a great rivalry game if they continue to build. High academics, regional, could replace Stanford as that game has completely lost my interest.

forkbeard3777 · Aug 3, 2025

ulukinatme said:
I think Lea's lost his marbles if he thinks Vandy should be the best program in the country, but I'd love to see more of the Vandy Pimp in SEC Shorts so...yeah, win a lot of games, Fighting Commodores! Just not more than us.

Lea’s a Nashville and Vandy guy. Naturally, he’s going to promote it. With a graduate degree from there, I’ll always pull for them, but unfortunately, there is still a ton of apathy there, even in house. Home games are still “home” games for the visiting team — the city is still predominately a Vols city (with a big UK, Alabama, UGA, Ole Miss, Auburn etc following).

VU does have a lot of things working in its favor and they really need to capitalize on it (elite academics, a great, fun, lively city that’s relatively safe with nice weather and gorgeous women, SEC football, good in state talent, deep pockets). Not many schools can check all those boxes.

I’m hoping they can continue making strides

NorthDakota · Aug 3, 2025

ulukinatme said:
I think Lea's lost his marbles if he thinks Vandy should be the best program in the country, but I'd love to see more of the Vandy Pimp in SEC Shorts so...yeah, win a lot of games, Fighting Commodores! Just not more than us.

It's an elite school in the SEC in one of the biggest party cities in America. He's the head coach there. He's just doing his job lol

Bishop2b5 · Sep 17, 2025

ulukinatme said:
I think Lea's lost his marbles if he thinks Vandy should be the best program in the country, but I'd love to see more of the Vandy Pimp in SEC Shorts so...yeah, win a lot of games, Fighting Commodores! Just not more than us.

Thought you'd enjoy this

forkbeard3777 · Sep 17, 2025

I'm loving what Lea is doing at Vanderbilt.

Jiggafini19Deux · Sep 17, 2025

forkbeard3777 said:
I'm loving what Lea is doing at Vanderbilt.

Same. Forget the alma mater angle of it entirely. It's impressive.

He's going to be a hot commodity if it keeps up. You have to think programs like Florida and Wisconsin are already reaching out through back channels to gauge his interest.

BeauBenken · Sep 17, 2025

Tim Beck, the OC, is going to be a hot commodity as well.

IrishLax · Sep 17, 2025

Jiggafini19Deux said:
Same. Forget the alma mater angle of it entirely. It's impressive.

He's going to be a hot commodity if it keeps up. You have to think programs like Florida and Wisconsin are already reaching out through back channels to gauge his interest.

I wonder if he would make the jump or realize he has a "good thing going" at his alma mater... I honestly don't know

Dale · Sep 17, 2025

BeauBenken said:
Tim Beck, the OC, is going to be a hot commodity as well.

The Jerry Kill - Tim Beck - Diego Pavia threesome is when things changed for Lea. Curious what happens after that chapter closes

ulukinatme · Sep 17, 2025

Bishop2b5 said:
Thought you'd enjoy this

Very nice, but they need to update it with his latest appearance...appearances? I saw he was already in one this year, haven't seen any others.

Jiggafini19Deux · Sep 18, 2025

IrishLax said:
I wonder if he would make the jump or realize he has a "good thing going" at his alma mater... I honestly don't know

Dale said:
The Jerry Kill - Tim Beck - Diego Pavia threesome is when things changed for Lea. Curious what happens after that chapter closes

If he makes the jump, he has to bring Jerry Kill with him.

If he stays at Vanderbilt, he has to keep Jerry Kill with him.

Jerry Kill can flat out coach ball, and the proof if anyone still needed it is what is going on at Vanderbilt since he got there. Kill and Beck crossed paths at TCU, then Kill took him to New Mexico State, now they're at Vanderbilt. They're both in their early 60s and maybe not big game hunting for big head coaching jobs themselves.

Lea has got a good thing going. The grass isn't always greener but the money certainly is. He's going to get calls.

GowerND11 · Sep 18, 2025

Jiggafini19Deux said:
If he makes the jump, he has to bring Jerry Kill with him.

If he stays at Vanderbilt, he has to keep Jerry Kill with him.

Jerry Kill can flat out coach ball, and the proof if anyone still needed it is what is going on at Vanderbilt since he got there. Kill and Beck crossed paths at TCU, then Kill took him to New Mexico State, now they're at Vanderbilt. They're both in their early 60s and maybe not big game hunting for big head coaching jobs themselves.

Lea has got a good thing going. The grass isn't always greener but the money certainly is. He's going to get calls.

Depending on the pay day as a consultant at Vandy, Kill may be very content. He's had a bunch of health issues in the past as well, so not having the pressure of being a coach is definitely (I assume) ideal and allows him to shine.

Jiggafini19Deux · Sep 18, 2025

GowerND11 said:
Depending on the pay day as a consultant at Vandy, Kill may be very content. He's had a bunch of health issues in the past as well, so not having the pressure of being a coach is definitely (I assume) ideal and allows him to shine.

Right. His health was the only reason he left Minnesota, and he had things going well there.

He's never been in the fish bowl. SIU, NIU, Minnesota, New Mexico State. His first head coaching job was Saginaw Valley State in the 1990s. He worked his way up the old way.

Sea Turtle · Sep 18, 2025

I am very impressed with this guy. I always pull for Vanderbilt. My children were born there and I spent a couple of weeks there. The people were wonderful.

irishff1014 · Sep 18, 2025

Jiggafini19Deux said:
Same. Forget the alma mater angle of it entirely. It's impressive.

He's going to be a hot commodity if it keeps up. You have to think programs like Florida and Wisconsin are already reaching out through back channels to gauge his interest.

That could be dangerous if he could recruit the right guys. He would have plenty of options in Florida that’s for sure.

Clark Lea - Defensive Coordinator

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