How Vanderbilt's Clark Lea Reflects What Auburn Tigers Need in its Next Head Coach

As Auburn searches for its next head coach, the Tigers could learn a thing or two from Vanderbilt and Clark Lea.

Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Clark Lea has his team as playoff contenders, while the Auburn Tigers fired head coach Hugh Freeze. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the Auburn Tigers look across the field, the head coach on the sidelines is the epitome of what they aspire to be on the Plains. Clark Lea became a household name this season, but he didn't just start transforming Vandy from eternal doormat to SEC threat.

This job may not just be a stop for him to move on to something bigger and better for Lea.

Vanderbilt and Nashville hold a special place in his heart. As a result, it reflects in his coaching. Auburn needs that type of passion.

Native Son

Lea grew up in Nashville and later played for the Commodores for two years. He remembers a team that could not win. With just seven winning seasons since 1950, the track record for the Commodores isn't sterling. When Lea was hired, he recalled the exact moment when he wanted to become a coach.

“I can remember wanting to train in the weight room around the Music City Bowl, and I couldn’t get in the weight room because Boise State was using it,” Lea said in his introductory press conference. “In that moment, I was so upset about where we were and so desperate to get this program where it should be.

“And that was as a player. So, I think as I transitioned and thought, ‘I want to get into coaching; every decision I’ve made in my career was to hopefully have a chance at this job eventually.”

Vanderbilt's coach Clark Lea has led the Commodores to its best season in decades. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Auburn needs a head coach who wants to be with the team for the best reason. Granted, the school will pay them well. It's the SEC, and no one is scrounging for money in couch cushions.

Outside of financial considerations, the new coach needs to show some sort of allegiance to the area, even a tangential one. Whether they coached at a nearby college or served as an assistant for the Tigers, bringing in a coach familiar with the program can only make the team better.

Auburn really brought in a coach born and raised in Boise to lead the team. Subsequently, that went as well as expected. Knowing the area also means connecting with the high school coaching staff. Alabama and Georgia, as states, possess fertile recruiting grounds that draw players to their campuses. Even if Auburn explores the transfer portal, some local players are interested in joining the team, with proximity to home being a contributing factor.

Lunchpail Mindset

As a former fullback, Lea cut his coaching teeth on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers need a defensive-minded head coach with a strong offensive coordinator to lead the team.

However, if athletic director John Cohen brings in an offensive mind, they need to hire an offensive coordinator, as we have seen that head coaches should not call the plays. A defensive coach would install a flexible system that works.

Auburn athletic director John Cohen is leading the search for the Tigers' next head football coach. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coaching Masterclass

Vanderbilt generates less revenue than Auburn, which in turn generates less revenue than Tennessee. Yet, Lea hits the portal and finds players to build his offensive and defensive schemes around.

On Vanderbilt's starting offensive line, not one Vandy original recruit. Diego Pavia, their quarterback, is a two-time transfer, just like star tight end Eli Stowers. While that may seem familiar in modern college football, Vanderbilt's admission standards rank among the nation's best.

Lea not only has to find athletes who can excel in the field, but they must also compete in the classroom. Similarly, Auburn isn't Rollover State, where you can major in underwater CrossFit.

Leadership

Lea takes ownership of losses. At the same time, that may seem like a given. Auburn's last head coach threw his team under the bus on the regular. The Vanderbilt coach uses words like "us" and "we," leaving "I" out of the discussion. If a fish stinks from the head down, roses smell great from the stem up. Accountability isn't a concept that an FBS needs to learn.

Hugh Freeze said every time he tries to explain "how something really is," he gets blamed for "throwing somebody under the bus."

— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) September 30, 2024

Overview

Lea found his niche at a place he is fond of. Without a doubt, the money is excellent, but the challenge and mission of turning a program around mean more. Auburn, from every possible amenity or financial standpoint, outshines Vanderbilt. They need to find their own version of Clark Lea.