Vanderbilt football is in the midst of one of the best seasons in program history. Vanderbilt is 9-2 and could still make a run at the College Football Playoff. After rumors that Clark Lea could leave for a new job, Vanderbilt and the head coach have agreed to a new six-year deal.
According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Lea and the university have agreed on a six-year deal with a large salary increase and increased assets for the football program.
“Our vision has never been about one or two seasons, rather, it has always been about sustained success at a championship level,” Lea told Pete Nakos of On3 about the extension.
This comes after it was reported by Chris Low of On3 that Lea interviewed with the Florida Gators last week in regard to their head coach opening.
Lea has Vanderbilt on the verge of their first ten-win season in program history. He is now 25-35 as the head coach of Vanderbilt, after going 2-10 in his first season. He brought the Dores to a bowl victory last season in the Birmingham Bowl over Georgia Tech. It was the first bowl win for Vanderbilt since 2013 under James Franklin.
Lea is a Vanderbilt alumnus, playing fullback for the school from 2002 to 2004. He then started his career as a coach, starting as an assistant at the high school ranks, before joining UCLA as a graduate assistant. He would spend time at South Dakota State, UCLA again, Bowling Green, Syracuse, and Wake Forest before joining the Notre Dame staff in 2017. Lea was promoted to the defensive coordinator position in 2018 after Mike Elko left for Texas A&M.
Lea was then named the 29th coach in Vanderbilt history, replacing Derek Mason. He was given an extension following the 2023 season, and now will be with the Dores for the foreseeable future.
Vanderbilt will face rival Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday at 3:30. Vanderbilt has lost five straight to their rival and has not won in Knoxville since 2017.
