The school announced Monday night that Vanderbilt Notre Dame has appointed defensive coordinator Clark Lea as its new head football coach.
Leah, from Nashville, who completed her college career as a fullback at Vanderbilt, is expected to be introduced next week. He will continue to work with No. 2 Notre Dame, who faces No. 3 Clemson on Saturday in the ACC Championship match. Leah has served as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, overseeing one of the country’s top defenses.
“We hope to continue the challenging but exciting mission of elevating the Vanderbilt football project to unprecedented heights,” said Clark Lea, director of Vanderbilt Athletics. “He embodies proof of success, integrity and the strategic thinking it takes to build a successful football program, and helps our student-athletes reach their full potential. He understands the important role that athletics play in the life of an energetic university, and the combination of the best intellectual aspirations and top athletes in Vanderbilt Areas. “
Leah, 38, replaces Derek Mason, who was sacked last month after going 27-55 in six seasons. Lee coached coaches in South Dakota, UCLA, Bowling Green, Syracuse and Wake Forest before landing his first coordinator position at Notre Dame.
“I am delighted to be back in Vanderbilt to lead a project, as a company and in a city, which has given me so much and shaped who I am today,” Leah said in a statement. “Vanderbilt is a special place with a competitive drive, which I hope can translate to success.”
Vanderbilt canceled this week’s game against Georgia on Monday due to problems with the availability of the COVID-19 list and ended its season 0-9.