Coach Clark Lea and Vanderbilt trying to play catchup in bigger, tougher SEC

Updated Aug. 20, 2024 6:10 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Clark Lea realized he had to make some serious changes to give his Vanderbilt Commodores a chance to compete in a bigger and even tougher Southeastern Conference.

The coach going into his fourth season put his alma mater through a makeover. He admitted the program had fallen behind when it came to the transfer portal and help for athletes eager to cash in with endorsement deals.

“I’m proud of efforts we made to position our program to get back on track,” Lea said.

Lea didn't have much choice after Vanderbilt went 2-10 for the second time in his tenure. He holds a 9-27 record after leaving his job as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame for the chance to revive the program he grew up supporting before playing for the Commodores.

He has taken charge of the defense, put his roster through a serious revamp and brought in a new offensive coordinator along with some other new coaches for his staff.

The challenge is Vanderbilt hasn't posted a winning record since going 9-4 in 2013 when James Franklin left for Penn State.

A lot of new Commodores

Lea has 53 new players on the roster and 120 total. That's up from 98 when he coached his first season in 2021 with 106 of these Commodores specifically recruited to play here. Lea started out trying to find players who could be developed for long-term success, then the college landscape changed.

“Our challenge now is to uphold our righteous standards while embracing a more short-term strategy of winning football,” Lea said. “This is the reality of our game now, what winning requires of us.”

Quarterback competition

Lea has eight quarterbacks currently on the roster and is in no hurry to name a starter.

Diego Pavia, a graduate transfer from New Mexico State, should have the edge. He played two seasons for Lea's new offensive coordinator at New Mexico State and was the 2023 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year. He led New Mexico State to only the second 10-win season in its history and first since 1960.

Pavia threw for 2,973 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for seven TDs. Better yet? He threw three TD passes in three different games, and one of those was the Aggies' first win over an SEC team, 31-10 against Auburn.

New coaches

Jerry Kill now is chief consultant to Lea and senior offensive adviser. Kill won 175 games over 24 years as a head coach with his last stop at New Mexico State. Lea also brought in Tim Beck as offensive coordinator after the Aggies ranked 12th in yards per play and 14th in rushing offense nationally.

Lea also hired Robert Stiner to help the Commodores get stronger and bigger while Steve Gregory was brought on as senior consultant and associate defensive coordinator.

Challenging schedule

As if playing in the SEC isn't tough enough, Vanderbilt opens the season Aug. 31 hosting Virginia Tech, picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference's preseason poll. The Commodores are going into a second season with their stadium under construction, though a crane won't be needed anymore to support a video board.

Vanderbilt also hosts Alabama on Oct. 5, SEC newcomer Texas on Oct. 26 and concludes the season hosting in-state rival Tennessee on Nov. 30 — teams all ranked in the preseason AP Top 25. The Commodores won't have to play Georgia, but their road slate includes trips to Missouri, Kentucky, Auburn and LSU.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll