Clark Lea: Vision is to end Vanderbilt games where '50% of the fans are for the other team'
It’s not always easy to get traction at a place like Vanderbilt. Coach Clark Lea knows it after experiencing some up-and-down swings through the first three years of his tenure.
You have to strike while the iron is hot and take advantage of every opportunity, inching forward a little at a time.
Saturday’s season-opening win over Virginia Tech is one such moment. In part because it did happen in front of a bunch of fans, including a packed-out student section.
“What we’re going to do is continue to work hard here internally to put something on the field that inspires people to show up,” Lea said. “But the vision for this program is not playing in front of a stadium that 50% of the fans are for the other team.”
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Vanderbilt’s not quite there yet. Again, inch by inch you have to reclaim that ground.
And it can be done. Former coach James Franklin had it rolling when he won nine games in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013. The program hasn’t quite reached that level since.
Want to flip the fan breakdown in the stands it starts with winning more games.
“The vision for the program is that this is a sellout with Vanderbilt fans and we have a sea of black and gold,” Lea said. “I think the construction projects that are ongoing are going to give way to a really neat environment that will be special for us here at Vanderbilt.”
Starting with the student support seems like a wise way to go if you’re Lea. The students build a lot of the energy around the program, and that can rub off on both players and older fans.
Lea was quick to praise that group.
“I made mention of the student support on Saturday,” he said. “That was very meaningful to me as a former student and alum myself. I’d like to find a way to make sure that any student that wants to come has a spot. And again, I celebrate the fact that they were there the whole time and they enjoyed what they saw. That was really neat.”
Whether Vanderbilt’s success is fleeting or proves a bit longer lasting this time remains to be seen. After all, Lea took the program from two wins to five wins, then drifted back to two wins in his third year in charge.
Can Year 4 match or even exceed Year 2?
“We’ll keep climbing and keep building and we’ll have that vision actualized,” Lea said. “That will happen. Certainly (athletics director) Candice (Lee) and her team, they’re working hard to continue to push and to reach out into our community to get more people there.”