Vanderbilt's Clark Lea in 'Good Position' to Leave for Major College Football Job
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Clark Lea and the No. 14 Vanderbilt Commodores are 9-2 going into their Week 14 matchup against the No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers. Their only two losses have come against the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns.
With one more regular-season game left, Vanderbilt’s national championship hopes are still alive. ESPN’s FPI gives the Commodores an 11.3% chance of making the College Football Playoff.
Much of the success can be attributed to Lea, who has led the program to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2012 and 2013. With big-time teams such as the Penn State Nittany Lions, Auburn Tigers, LSU Tigers and Florida Gators all searching for a new head coach, his name continues to pop up.
During the latest edition of the “Always College Football Podcast,” ESPN analyst Greg McElroyclaimed Lea is in a “really good position” for the Penn State opening.
“I think when you look at the candidates right now for the head coaching job, I think Clark Lea at Vanderbilt is in a really good position to potentially get this gig,” McElroy said. “Now he’s a defensive-minded guy. He’s done a ridiculously good job at Vanderbilt. I mean, absurd.”
Penn State is looking to replace James Franklin, who was fired on Oct. 12 after a 3-3 start to the 2025 season, which included a three-game losing streak.
A move from Vanderbilt to Penn State is one seen in the past, having been done by Franklin himself. He was the Commodores’ head coach from 2011 to 2013, before leaving to take over the Nittany Lions.
It would be interesting to see Penn State pick yet another head coach from Vanderbilt. However, he revealed that for now, his focus remains on the Commodores.
“The fight remains for this program,” Lea said while speaking to reporters on Thursday. “This is a critical point in time for Vanderbilt football, I do feel that way and it’s a time for push and for big vision and launching point forward. “
As Vanderbilt pushes toward a potential playoff berth, the spotlight on Lea continues to grow. That means he’ll continue to be linked to some of college football‘s biggest head coaching vacancies, including Penn State’s.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Nov 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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