Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Clark Lea signed an extension on Friday morning. Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, the deal includes "a significant salary increase" and " numerous assets for the program to continue Vanderbilt football’s upward trend."
As Thamel would further explain, "Those include additional resources for both staff and facilities.
Lea received interest from multiple suitors in this cycle."
Lea didn't sound like someone who wanted to give up what he's built in Nashville while recently speaking about the program's process since the 2021 season.
“So, the timing of that had to do with the initial blueprint for what the program was going to be, the need for us to pivot. Then to find resources because that engine wasn’t inevitable here. It was something that we had to work to do, as well as build the partnerships on campus,” Lea previously said right before a 34-31 loss to the Texas Longhorns.
“What we did in foundation when you ask about the culture, it’s a belief of mine that with all the suffering and sacrifice that is involved in building a football program, this is kind of in its foundation a human endeavor. So, human connection is so important. This has been true for me as a coach for my entire career, and while we weren’t participating in portal or NIL our first few years here, our transaction was human connection. We spent time on the relationship and calling guys into a level of sacrifice for one another.”
Auburn pursued Clark Lea, but ultimately zeroed in on Jon Sumrall
Lea was on the Auburn Tigers' radar this season following Hugh Freeze's firing, but a 45-38 overtime win over AU at FirstBank Stadium was all the proof that Vanderbilt is further along and not worth leaving.
Especially because there's no guarantee the Commodores would've been able to successfully replace.
Auburn has its guy in Jon Sumrall, though. In the end, almost everyone in the SEC is getting who they want, including the Missouri Tigers, who signed Eli Drinkwitz to an extension on Thanksgiving Day.
Of course, two of the Ole Miss Rebels, LSU Tigers, and Florida Gators won't land Lane Kiffin. So not everyone is getting who they want.