Clark Lea changed culture to change results at vandy
By Banner Staff
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - December 27, 2024
Clark Lea’s preparation for his first team meeting as the Vanderbilt University football head coach began long before he finally stood in front of his players for the initial time. His preparation included what he felt at the time was the “best ever first team meeting speech.”
It didn’t go as planned, which perhaps was fitting considering he was hired during one of the most unconventional times in college athletics.
The meeting, by the way, didn’t come immediately after he took over the program.
“The semester was delayed just because of the (Covid-19) pandemic,” said Lea, whose hiring announcement came on Dec. 14, 2020. “So, the first team meeting I had was in the indoor facility and we were at tables spaced six feet apart. There was a lot about it that I, in my mind, that I hadn't envisioned.”
He certainly didn’t originally envision what came next.
“When I got in front of the team, there was just this general apathy that was so tangible, like some body positions, lack of eye contact,” Lea said. “There was a lack of internal respect or self-respect and really a lack of energy around this new direction the program was taking. So I kind of put that speech in my back pocket and just talked about respect and appreciation and talked about how we treat the opportunities we have, all the opportunities we have and all the outcomes that we drive. We have to work for the things that we want. You know, that was my instinct. And it was proven to be right. We had such a long way to go.”
On Friday, about four years since that speech, Vanderbilt will arrive at Protective Stadium to play in the program’s first bowl since losing to Baylor in the 2018 Independence Bowl. The Commodores return to postseason play against Georgia Tech with kickoff slated for 2:30 p.m. at Protective Stadium.
Not surprisingly, the road to Lea’s first bowl game as a head coach came with a whole bunch of bumps and potholes. His first team was 2-10 overall with losses in all eight SEC games. The Commodores finished 5-7 in 2022, including SEC wins over Florida and Kentucky, before finishing 2-10 last season.
In 2024, the Commodores turned an important corner. They grabbed national headlines with a 40-35 win over Alabama on Oct. 5, held a 5-2 record at one point, pushed Texas to the brink and reached bowl eligibility with a win at Auburn. Lea became the first Vanderbilt coach chosen as the outright SEC Coach of the year since George McIntyre was honored in 1982 and Lea is a candidate for national coach of the year awards. The Commodores finished 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the SEC.
Circling back to his first season as the Vanderbilt head coach was helpful in helping make this season happen.
“We needed to lose some of the members of the team that weren't willing to be on the mission with us,” Lea said of the 2021 season. “I inherited the team. There was a lot of work to be done to try to shape it and somehow make it a part of the vision I had for Vanderbilt football. That was a painful year. “There was a lot of learning for me. And, you know, I think it was an important year for me, too, in terms of making decisions, working towards this (type of) season, having the ability to appreciate this breakthrough season and yet still scrutinize and look for ways to reach for more.”
Obviously, the focus right now is finding a way to win a bowl game for the first time since beating Houston in the 2013 BBVA Compass Bowl at Legion Field. At the forefront of the game plan, most certainly, is quarterback Diego Pavia, the ultra-confident New Mexico State transfer, who led the way in the breakthrough season. The 6-foot, 207-pound graduate student, who was selected as the SEC Newcomer of the Year, threw for 2,133 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions and rushed for 716 yards with six touchdowns. However, pure numbers don’t tell the entire tale of what Pavia means to this team and this program.
“He's such a great competitor,” Lea said. “ He rolls the team into competitive situations and obviously this year into wins. Seeing that come to life in the Virginia Tech game was the first glimpse I had in what it looked like to have this guy leading your team. Once I saw that, I really kind of understood what made him so special. Then, obviously as we got the SEC schedule, I think he really settled in to strong performances and consistent play. The bigger the stage, the bigger the performance you're going to get from him. He just lives for those competitive moments. I've been impressed with, it was just how authentic and genuine he is in his approach, how consistent he is. And there's this feeling that you're never out of the game.”
Pavia was originally supposed to be part of the Vanderbilt program for just one season. However, it appears that Pavia will receive another season of eligibility. He is certainly part of the next step for the Commodores program but what does Lea’s vision of the program look like after his star quarterback leaves.
“Winning in our league is hard,” Lea said. “So, there's a part of it that has to be built on some of the things that we did this season to unlock the winning performance. I think what we recognized this year is that we didn't always have the depth we needed to sustain performance through the season. We have to address that this offseason in developing the players we have and adding players that will enhance that depth. We just want to be surgical and try to elevate the areas that we need to elevate to go from bowl eligibility to more. Within that, what we don't want to do is lose our soul. So the values of this program, I think what makes it unique are willing us to still be a part of something bigger than ourselves. The connection we have, that has to be what we fight for first because in a world of transaction, the thing that's going to differentiate us is our connection. Certainly, I think there are some clear ways we can improve on this year's efforts. That's what we'll focus on, while also not losing our base identity.”