Vanderbilt and football coach Clark Lea have agreed to a contract extension, the school announced on Friday.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, it’s a six-year deal with financial terms yet to be announced. Lea will certainly get a hefty raise and he will also be given “numerous assets” and “resources” for his coaching staff and the programs facilities.
“Clark Lea embodies what is possible at Vanderbilt, and I am proud to continue this journey with him leading our football program,” said Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee in a statement. “From the very beginning of Vandy United, we unapologetically set out to build a model to sustain excellence in athletics and today simply reaffirms our commitment. Our focus is consistently competing at the highest level— with our values and identity as our firm foundation. As Coach Lea often says, our mission is winning. We deeply believe that we can do it all. With our alignment and partnership here at Vanderbilt, we can and we will.”
Lea was hired by Vanderbilt in Dec. 2020 after spending three seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. Prior to his stay on Brian Kelly’s staff, he was a linebackers coach with Wake Forest, Syracuse, Bowling Green, and UCLA.
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After winning a total of nine games over Lea’s first three seasons, the Commodores program has turned around since 2024. Last season, Vanderbilt went 7-6, which included a win over Alabama, and earned a bowl game trip for the first time since 2018.
This season, Lea has guided the Commodores to a 9-2 overall record and 5-2 in the SEC, with wins over South Carolina and LSU helping push them to 14th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
Vanderbilt finishes the regular season on Saturday against No. 19 Tennessee. A win would secure the program’s first 10-win season since its inception in 1980.
