What We Learned: Vanderbilt at SECMD
Clark Lea is going into his fourth season as the head coach of Vanderbilt's football program, which he was a part of as a college football player. The Nashville native talked about the Commodores after a disappointing 2023 season.
Here's what we learned about one of UK's 2024 SEC opponents during SEC Media Days on Monday.
** Lea said he approached every decision this offseason looking to answer: What am I meant to learn from this adversity, and how can I use it as a catalyst for future success?
** Lea said Vandy has done different things: 1) They train differently, because it wasn't working earlier. This led to the hire of Robert Steiner to work in the weight room. This impact has been immediate, Lea said. 2) Hired Tim Beck as OC from NMSU, noting the Aggies had the No. 12 offense in yards per play. Lea said this demonstrates the developmental success they need at Vanderbilt. 3) Lea took over as defensive coordinator. He knows the job well. He brought in Jerry Kill to help with the offense.
** The Commodores actively participated in the portal and NIL. He said falling behind in these areas erased most of their progress from earlier years. It has taken time to build the infrastructure to retain their team and be competitive in that area. He said they have adjusted their strategy.
** Shedding the mindset of the past is important, Lea said. VU will have 53 new players on their roster. The team is almost entirely made over since Lea was hired. He said its required to adopt a more short-term strategy to win football games.
** QB transfer Diego Pavia has brought a lot of energy to their locker room. He's a unique competitor who "exudes edge" and he's proud to have him in the program.
** Lea has said this is the most fun he's had as a head coach, which is due in part to him rediscovering the passion of coaching the defensive unit. Lea said they showed resilience in December after a tough 2023 season in bolstering their roster and building competition. Lea said they didn't lose the foundation of the culture they've built over three years and they've added good players.
** Lea raided New Mexico State for quarterbacks and an OC this offseason and he said, "I've always had a great respect for Jerry Kill." They faced off in the 2013 Texas Bowl. There was admiration for their style of play. Kill has a reputation for program-building.
** Asked about indicators that they're moving in the right direction Lea said they play more football now than ever before in the past, so you see how the team is performing. They wear GPS on the field and measurables tell them they're improving.
"The speed has increased but so has the weight," Lea said. Their EDGE players' average weight gain was 16.4 pounds. "That's impressive," he said. Tight ends gained 12 pounds on average, safeties 10 pounds on average. "What you realize is we're becoming a faster team, we're becoming a bigger team." Independent of performance in systems they can see the physical development of the roster.
** On "the sell" at Vanderbilt, Lea said the type of player who works at Vanderbilt is the same type of player who works anywhere else. They want to be competitive for every player because they believe in the product they sell. In the NIL world some of the long-term significance of the Vandy choice has been undercut. They have to adapt their recruiting approach to capture the short-term strategy. "The great thing about choosing Vanderbilt is that decision gets better over time." The SEC is a great draw, too, Lea said. It's probably the No. 1 aspect of choosing a school.
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"This was a huge offseason for Vanderbilt," Hansen said. "We brought in four new O-linemen Steven Hubbard, Chase Mitchell, Cade McConnell and Steven Losoya, and a couple of them bring a lot of great experience. They've played a lot of football."
With that experience comes an opportunity, one that could define what Vanderbilt's new-look offense does this season.
Hansen knows his position group's importance, particularly in regards a run game that held Vanderbilt back for much of last season and was near the bottom of every statistical category.
"I feel like last year we were here and there with the run game, but this year we're going to establish the run game and dent the front and be physical up front. That's our biggest goal this year."
Gunnar Hansen betting on trust, offensive line improvement
"Lea stepping into Taylor's development as defensive coordinator was a welcome change. Perhaps it was a change that kept Taylor from exploring his options beyond West End.
"I trust him with my football career," Taylor said of Lea. "Whenever he told the team that he was taking over as the DC, that was all I needed to hear. Obviously I'm changing to a traditional safety position. So when those two things checked off, I was all hands on deck."
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