Emerging SEC coach floated as a 'wonderful fit' to replace Sherrone Moore at Michigan

The sudden firing of Sherrone Moore at Michigan has left college football scrambling. After a two-month run of the coaching carousel, everything had seemingly settled to quiet. But with Moore out, the question of his Michigan replacement has been the biggest one in college football.

First-Round Coaching Carousel

Between the coaches who were hired in the coaching carousel (Lane Kiffin, James Franklin) and those who got significant contract extensions due to the carousel (from Matt Rhule to Curt Cignetti), the list of coaching candidates for Michigan is significantly pared down. But inconvenient timing is a fact of life and Pete Thamel had a scenario and a candidate to offer on The Pat McAfee Show.

Pete Thamel on Clark Lea

A coach that just got extended could end up being a viable candidate.... Clark Lea, from a fit perspective from how Michigan views itself, would be a wonderful fit at Michigan. He's obviously been at Notre Dame and has deep ties to the upper Midwest. That type of move, where someone who has signed an extension and could maybe still go, is more viable than a guy like Sumrall or Campbell.
Pete Thamel

Lea's Contract

The financial details of Clark Lea's extension haven't been released. Vanderbilt, as a private school, is the lone SEC school that isn't subject to public reporting requirements. The contract was reported as a six-year deal and last month seemed to silence any issues of Lea moving on to another school. Having led Vanderbilt to seven wins in 2024 and then 10 wins in 2025, Lea was mentioned with a bevy of jobs, including the then-vacant Penn State position.

Lea's Story

Lea is from Nashville and attended Vanderbilt. He advanced through a series of defensive assistant coaching jobs and was promoted to defensive coordinator at Notre Dame in 2018. He replaced Mike Elko on Brian Kelly's staff after Elko departed to fill the coordinator role at Texas A&M. After three seasons as the coordinator at Notre Dame, Lea took the Vanderbilt head coaching job after the 2020 season.

Vanderbilt didn't have overnight success under Lea, going just 9-27 in his first three seasons (and just 2-22 in SEC play). But the influx of quarterback Diego Pavia and several offensive staff members who came with Pavia from New Mexico State has jump-started the Vanderbilt program. While Lea is seemingly solid in his commitment to his school, the possibility of the Michigan job is one that could change virtually any situation.

Despite a recent extension, could Clark Lea be lured into the Michigan job? | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images