“That’s When You Define Who You Are”: Vanderbilt's Clark Lea’s Evolution in Nashville Hasn’t Come Easy

Vanderbilt’s head football coach talked about his personal development throughout his time in Nashville.

Dec 27, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Clark Lea looks on during a timeout during the first half of the 2024 Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

On an early September night in 2021, Vanderbilt football entered a new era. Head coach Clark Lea coached his first game on the sidelines of FirstBank Stadium against East Tennessee State. The Commodores went up 3-0 early in a game they were -21.5-point favorites in.

However, that was all the scoring Vanderbilt had that night. East Tennessee State scored 23 unanswered as the underdogs from the FCS pulled off an unexpected upset against the Commodores.

Lea has not forgotten about that day. But it is not something that he lets haunt him, but rather it is a game he can look back on and appreciate.

“Also I will tell you some of the hardest moments in this role…but you think about that first year. My first-ever game at Vanderbilt we played East Tennessee State and we got beat. And I mean, we got to beat. I wasn't prepared for that. There was no version of this in my mind that I had had as the starting point.” Lea said when reflecting on his journey throughout his time at Vanderbilt so far. “I think that's -- a lot of the best journeys start in ways that we don't think they're going to start,.”

During SEC play that same season, Vanderbilt played host to Georgia and lost 62-0. However, Lea remembers being faced with a pivotal decision from that day that he shared Monday at SEC Media Day.

“I remember the sun beating down that afternoon and just it's like you get put in this position where here is your choice: Are you going to coach the team or are you going to blame the team? That's what you have to choose. I wish for everyone to experience that in life. That's when you define who you are as a person,” Lea said.

Vanderbilt’s 2021 season as a whole did not go how Lea planned it to go, finishing with a 2-10 record. But Lea’s memories from that season have helped shape who he is as a coach and person.

“So I think all of that was beating back my ego, and really it was a way of me learning that it's not about me. That ultimately I'm here in service of something,” Lea said on how he evolved from the hard moments his team faced his first season.

Hard moments and trials for anybody throughout each one’s life can serve as a blessing. It can develop a feeling of gratitude and appreciation when you reach the highs. For Lea, that is exactly how he feels.

“Also, without that, I don't know that I could appreciate these breakthrough moments we're having now. It all fits together. So you can't only take the good and throw away the bad.”

One of those highs came last fall, when Vanderbilt hosted No. 1 Alabama and won 40-35, its first win against a top-ranked team in program history. The win was a major contributor for the Commodores to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2013. 

To put a cherry on top of last season’s improvement, Lea won his first bowl game as the ‘Dores coach with a 35-27 victory over Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl.

Lea attributes his evolution throughout his time at the helm of Vanderbilt to his self-awareness and knowing that he cannot be selfish in what he does.

“My growth has been both the awareness that I'm not good enough to do it on my own, the beating back of my own ego so I can be in better service of our team, and learning how to celebrate the breakthrough moments,” Lea said.

As the 2025 season sits just a little over six weeks away, Lea is ready for his team to learn from all the highs and lows and make the next jump as he continues to learn about himself and grow.

“We have done enough learning. I think our team would agree we are ready to move past that. But yeah, it's been a great journey for me. Makes me excited for the growth that awaits me moving forward.”