Clark Lea Signs New Vanderbilt Contract, Reportedly Has Significant Salary' Increase

Having led Vanderbilt to its first nine-win season since 2013, head coach Clark Lea has been rewarded with a lucrative contract extension.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Lea has agreed to terms on a new six-year deal with the Commodores that includes a "significant salary increase" and additional "assets" to help the program stay on its upward trajectory.

Exact details of Lea's new contract are not yet available, but his original deal paid him $3.7 annually. His salary ranks last out of the 16 SEC head coaches, with Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby just ahead of him with a $4.35 million annual salary.

Lea was hired as Vanderbilt's head coach in December 2020 after spending four seasons at Notre Dame, including his final three years as defensive coordinator.

Vanderbilt had not won more than six games in a season in seven years under previous head coach Derrick Mason, including a 1-16 mark in SEC play from 2019 to '21.

After a 9-27 start in Lea's first three seasons, the Commodores have posted back-to-back years with winning records for the first time since 2012 and 2013 when James Franklin was head coach.

Lea has Vanderbilt off to a 9-2 start this season. The Commodores climbed into the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 poll for two weeks in October. It was the first time the program reached that mark since the 1947 season.

There is also an outside shot that Vanderbilt could make the College Football Playoff. It ranked No. 14 in the most recent poll, but CBS Sports' Brad Crawford noted a lot of things would have to go right this weekend for Vandy to get enough support to make the 12-team field.

Even if the Commodores come up short in that regard, this season has been an unqualified success for Lea and what he has built in five years with the program. A victory over No. 18 Tennessee on Saturday would give them their first ever 10-win season.