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Vanderbilt fires their coach

TXNDFan88

ND Expert
Feb 11, 2013
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Was really hoping they would not let him go due to budget issues. Or at least wait until after the December signing period so opposing coaches cannot use it against ND.
 
Was really hoping they would not let him go due to budget issues. Or at least wait until after the December signing period so opposing coaches cannot use it against ND.

that’s not a good job Clark Lea, you hear me. Nashville is a terrible city. Who likes country music and it’s full and bachelorette parties. Pass.
 
I guess we can hope that Vandy does not go Assistant defensive coordinator again. Maybe they grab one of those hot shots from Coastal Carolina or Charlotte??? Hopefully
 
that’s not a good job Clark Lea, you hear me. Nashville is a terrible city. Who likes country music and it’s full and bachelorette parties. Pass.

He's an alum, and it's pretty much an elite school on a par with ND. It's the Harvard of the South, or one the few prestigious academic schools in Dixie to get that epithet.

Anyway, I figure that's probably all she wrote for Clark Lea, and he's taking that job if they offer it, which they probably will. Oh well, that's why we gotta make the playoff this year!
 
He's an alum, and it's pretty much an elite school on a par with ND. It's the Harvard of the South, or one the few prestigious academic schools in Dixie to get that epithet.

Anyway, I figure that's probably all she wrote for Clark Lea, and he's taking that job if they offer it, which they probably will. Oh well, that's why we gotta make the playoff this year!

But it's extremely hard to win there. So that would be a downside.
 
But it's extremely hard to win there. So that would be a downside.

Well yeah... Maybe he won't take it, I don't know. I just know he would have taken the BC job a year ago, or at least I think he would have, he sought it out. And so why wouldn't he take the Vandy job, Just too dang hard to win there? And he's an alum.

I bet you he takes it. But we are getting a little ahead ourselves...
 
With Mason gone today, is there a chance Vandy offers in early December, and Lea misses the ACC Championship and playoff?

Way ahead of myself, but had to ask.
 
I suppose we will wait and see what Vandy does, but hiring an alum isn't always a recipe for success. Didn't work out for ND with Charlie Weis, and thus far it hasn't worked out for Nebraska with Scott Frost, though the jury is still out on that one. I wonder if Vandy will look to hire a coordinator or assistant from another SEC school?
 
Hopefully Lea just doesn’t want to deal with the perils of the Vandy job: no matter how good you get, you’re never good enough to really compete in that league.

First and foremost: ND has to pay him. Should be amongst the highest paid assistants in the country.

Hoping Lea sees the value in staying at ND, a job that he’s great at. He’ll always be appropriately challenged, and the formula exists that allows us to potentially challenge for playoff spots every year.
 
Lea will will most likely be gone this year or next. The only question is would ND consider him for their HC job without any HC experience? As previously posted, Vanda may be gun shy hiring another DC without HC experience
 
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I hope that Clark wants to stay on through the end of ND’s season. Seeing as it has national championship potential. I know most programs want coaches to assemble a staff and begin recruiting right away. But the prospect of winning a NC even as an assistant might keep him through the year.
 
Vanderbilt is not the job to cut your teeth as a head coach. It’s a stepping stone job for a mid major HC to step up to Power 5, make a bowl game two years in a row and then get out quickly to a bigger job. I would think then attractive jobs in the next two years are going to be USC, the other USC, Nebraska, Michigan and maybe Texas. The next big time job is going to Matt Campbell - Texas or Michigan.
 
While it is true Vandy is a tough place to win at no doubt, Franklin at PSU won there and moved on to bigger and better things. So just recently that's been proven to not be a deal-breaker.

Plus he's going to take the job because he wants to be a HC, he's an alum, and he's just not going to turn it down. I'm guessing CL's the first person they call.

So that would totally suck if it played out that way, but if I were a betting man.....
 
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While it is true Vandy is a tough place to win at no doubt, Franklin at PSU won there and moved on to bigger and better things. So just recently that's been proven to not be a deal-breaker.

Plus he's going to take the job because he wants to be a HC, he's an alum, and he's just not going to turn it down. I'm guessing CL's the first person they call.

So that would totally suck if it played out that way, but if I were a betting man.....
Its Matt Doherty /UNC all over again ... and look how that worked out. If he does go to vandy he will be someone’s DC in 4 years.
 
I am someone who has remained very close to my alma mater; so I fully understand the appeal of returning to your former school...

That having been said, Lea is a very intelligent person; he can read the tea leaves and is aware that he is quickly becoming one of the hottest commodities in college football.

With these sentiments in mind, I believe he knows that he is putting himself in a position to write his own ticket; in other words, I see him not settling and holding out for a more traditionally successful program (or maybe an NFL coordinator job if that offer gets put on the table).
 
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Well I'm not sure what to say when it comes to what Lea ought to do, and what Vandy will do. I just figure if Lea is offered a P5 HC job he'll take it.

I suppose the alma mater aspect could be overplayed, but supposedly he was right there for the BC job, and they're a better program than Vandy is. I certainly don't think it's a situation where Vandy's too good for him.

I still think they're going to offer it to him.
 
I am someone who has remained very close to my alma mater; so I fully understand the appeal of returning to your former school...

That having been said, Lea is a very intelligent person; he can read the tea leaves and is aware that he is quickly becoming one of the hottest commodities in college football.

With these sentiments in mind, I believe he knows that is putting himself in a position to write his own ticket; in other words, I see not settling and holding out for a more traditionally successful program (or maybe an NFL coordinator job is that offer gets put on the table).

You sure that's not wishful thinking? But your point is well taken. ND's defense has become hot stuff, even among the pundit class and whatnot. Maybe with another great year or two at ND he'll be looked upon like a young Bob Stoops, who went straight to OU from DC at FSU.

That'd be great. To get two more years with him.
 
Vanderbilt is not the job to cut your teeth as a head coach. It’s a stepping stone job for a mid major HC to step up to Power 5, make a bowl game two years in a row and then get out quickly to a bigger job. I would think then attractive jobs in the next two years are going to be USC, the other USC, Nebraska, Michigan and maybe Texas. The next big time job is going to Matt Campbell - Texas or Michigan.
Campbell is a Hellava coach. If I'm Michigan, he's my first call
 
And here I thought Vandy's coach was fired because he let a woman kick.
 
Vanderbilt is not the job to cut your teeth as a head coach. It’s a stepping stone job for a mid major HC to step up to Power 5, make a bowl game two years in a row and then get out quickly to a bigger job. I would think then attractive jobs in the next two years are going to be USC, the other USC, Nebraska, Michigan and maybe Texas. The next big time job is going to Matt Campbell - Texas or Michigan.
Maybe. I like Campbell a lot but prefer Luke Fickell over him all day long. Would love to see Fickell succeed Kelly when the time comes but he'll likely be having great success at a big time program by then and locked up.
 
Maybe. I like Campbell a lot but prefer Luke Fickell over him all day long. Would love to see Fickell succeed Kelly when the time comes but he'll likely be having great success at a big time program by then and locked up.
/QUOTE]
Fickle to Michigan sure would be interesting. The job he has done at Cincy is one of the least appreciated stories out there. He is one of the coaches I'd like to see take Kelly's place when the time comes!
 
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Have to think Elston is the guy for DC if Lea moves on. He has earned it. Just have to bring in a killer LBs coach.

Lea going to Vandy might be a good thing if it leads him back to ND when Kelly retires.
 
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Was really hoping they would not let him go due to budget issues. Or at least wait until after the December signing period so opposing coaches cannot use it against ND.

They fired the Vandy coach for using a female on kickoffs !! She only kicked it 20 yards !! Dumb idea !
 
Savvy, I like your realism. Lea makes a lot of sense as Vandy's top candidate. If I'm Vanderbilt, however, then I'm trying to think about a coach who would wouldn't bolt the minute he enjoyed some success. They have to know that a successful run from Clark Lea would only mean that he's primed to move on to a head coaching job at ND or some other Blueblood program. If I'm Vandy, I'm getting Jeff Fisher on the phone. Fisher seems to love living in Nashville, and he might be happy to finish his career with an 8-10 year stint at the local University. Let's all hope he's interested!
 
The silver lining here is that maybe Lea goes to Vandy, does reasonably well, and spends 3-4 years learning to be a P5 coach.

He’s then perfectly positioned to take over for BK when the time is right....
 
While it is true Vandy is a tough place to win at no doubt, Franklin at PSU won there and moved on to bigger and better things. So just recently that's been proven to not be a deal-breaker.

Plus he's going to take the job because he wants to be a HC, he's an alum, and he's just not going to turn it down. I'm guessing CL's the first person they call.

So that would totally suck if it played out that way, but if I were a betting man.....

I’ll take that hypothetical bet. I absolutely don’t believe he leaves for Vandy.
 
I’ll take that hypothetical bet. I absolutely don’t believe he leaves for Vandy.

I hope you're right. But the fact that Vandy's so hard to win at, could well be offset by the high comfort level he may well feel taking on a challenge like that having played there.

What's frustrating is, what are the odds this guy's a Vandy grad? Why couldn't he have just played at some small college like so many coaches do? Then I might be a lot more inclined to agree.
 
On a side note, predictably, the media adores the fact that Vandy put the female place kicker in. But if she had to tackle a runner returning the ball....that would not have been a pretty sight. In fact, imagine if she got hurt? Different storyline?
 
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This is just one reason why no one takes you seriously.
It was absolutely worthy of being fired. She kicked the ball 20yrds and immediately shrieked off to the sideline the moment her foot left the football therefore providing zero kick-off coverage. Did you see her warming up in pre-game? If that's the best available for the Vandy football program then it's time to get a better coach/leader.
 
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On a side note, predictably, the media adores the fact that Vandy put the female place kicker in. But if she had to tackle a runner returning the ball....that would not have been a pretty sight. In fact, imagine if she got hurt? Different storyline?
The whole thing was a pathetic stunt similar to Michigan giving out Free Cokes To get their Walmart fans back into the empty stadium.
 
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