Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Head coach |
Team | Vanderbilt |
Conference | SEC |
Record | 9–27 |
Biographical details | |
Born | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | November 11, 1981
Playing career | |
2002–2004 | Vanderbilt |
Position(s) | Fullback |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
2006 | UCLA (GA) |
2007 | South Dakota State (LB) |
2008 | South Dakota State (RC/LB) |
2009 | UCLA (GA) |
2010–2011 | UCLA (LB) |
2012 | Bowling Green (LB) |
2013–2015 | Syracuse (LB) |
2016 | Wake Forest (LB) |
2017 | Notre Dame (LB) |
2018–2020 | Notre Dame (DC) |
2021–present | Vanderbilt |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 9–27 |
Clark Lea (born November 11, 1981) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at Vanderbilt since 2021. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Notre Dame from 2018 to 2020. Lea began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2006 and went on to serve as an assistant coach at South Dakota State University, Bowling Green State University, Syracuse University, and Wake Forest University.
Lea started his college career playing baseball. He helped lead Birmingham Southern to the 2001 NAIA championship his freshman year. Lea then transferred to Belmont University and played one year of baseball (5G, 2-for-5, K). [1] Lea remained in Nashville and finished his college career at Vanderbilt, where he played fullback for the Commodores his final two years. [2]
In 2006, Lea began his coaching career at UCLA as a graduate assistant under head coach Karl Dorrell. [3]
In 2007, Lea joined South Dakota State University as their linebackers coach under head coach John Stiegelmeier. [4] [5] In 2008, Lea was given an additional role as recruiting coordinator. [6]
In 2009, Lea returned to UCLA as a graduate assistant under head coach Rick Neuheisel. In 2010, he was promoted to linebackers coach. [7] Following Neuheisel's firing on November 28, 2011, Lea was not retained by UCLA for the 2012 season. [8]
In 2012, Lea was hired as the linebackers coach at Bowling Green State University under defensive coordinator Mike Elko and head coach Dave Clawson. [9] [10]
In 2013, Lea joined Syracuse University as their linebackers coach under head coach Scott Shafer. [11] [12]
In 2016, Lea was hired as the linebackers coach at Wake Forest University, reuniting with defensive coordinator Mike Elko and head coach Dave Clawson. [13]
In 2017, Lea followed defensive coordinator Mike Elko to the University of Notre Dame to serve as their linebackers coach under head coach Brian Kelly. [14] [15] In January 2018, Lea was promoted to defensive coordinator, replacing Mike Elko, who departed to serve in the same role at Texas A&M. [16]
On December 14, 2020, Lea was named the 29th head football coach at Vanderbilt University, replacing Derek Mason. [17]
In the 2021 season, Lea led Vanderbilt to a 2–10 mark in his first season as head coach. [18] The 2022 season marked improvement for Lea and the Commodores with a 5–7 record. [19] The Commodores defeated SEC East rivals Kentucky and Florida to highlight the 2022 season. [20] [21] In the 2023 offseason, Lea's contract was extended three years through the 2029 season. [22] Lea coached Vanderbilt to a 2–10 record in the 2023 season. [23]
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vanderbilt Commodores (Southeastern Conference)(2021–present) | |||||||||
2021 | Vanderbilt | 2–10 | 0–8 | 7th (East) | |||||
2022 | Vanderbilt | 5–7 | 2–6 | 7th (East) | |||||
2023 | Vanderbilt | 2–10 | 0–8 | 7th (East) | |||||
Vanderbilt: | 9–27 | 2–22 | |||||||
Total: | 9–27 |
Karl James Dorrell is an American football coach. He has been the head coach for the UCLA Bruins and Colorado Buffaloes, being named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year for both. Dorrell led the UCLA Bruins to five bowl appearances and was the first African American head football coach in their history.
Richard Gerald Neuheisel Jr. is an American football analyst, coach, and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1995 to 1999, at the University of Washington from 1999 to 2002, and at his alma mater, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from 2008 to 2011, compiling a career college football coaching record of 87–59. From 2005 to 2007, Neuheisel was an assistant coach with the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL), as quarterbacks coach for two seasons and offensive coordinator for one. He formerly served as head coach for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) before the collapse of the league. Before coaching, Neuheisel played quarterback for the UCLA Bruins from 1980 to 1983, then spent two seasons with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States Football League (USFL) before splitting the 1987 NFL season between the San Diego Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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