When Vanderbilt footballcoach Clark Lea opens a door, he holds it open.
Widely and transparently.
I found that out last season when, during a casual conversation, he offered me all-day, all access to a Commodores practice. He didn't mean, "Hey, come watch us rehearse plays all day" access.
He meant, "Be here before 7 a.m." access. Sit in on team and individual position meetings access. Stand on the sideline during practice access.
I didn't know what to expect, except that my alarm would be going off before the sun spilled over the horizon, at an hour I don't get along with.
What I saw made me want to dive deeper into that family atmosphere I got a whiff of that day in mid-November 2025.
What I saw that day was something I'd never seen in 29 years
as a sports reporter. Not when I covered Notre Dame football, where Lea got his start, for the Chicago Tribune. Or when I covered Northwestern basketball.
Family really does matter at Vanderbilt
What I saw was Clark Lea's father between the two practice fields, playing catch with his grandsons while his son was talking with a visiting recruit in the end zone on the field behind him.
Clark Lea's sister talking to some friends as Diego Pavia and company prepared for the upcoming Kentucky game.
Family, spouses, coaches' children, players' children? All are welcome at Vanderbilt during working hours. Especially during working hours.
I didn't see Lea's kids there that day, but they are regulars too.
"While families have been welcomed at other places I've been, typically that's been at certain times during the year," said Vanderbilt co-defensive coordinator Nick Lezynski, who coached with Lea at Notre Dame, where he also played. "You know, offseason, a family barbecue here and there.
"Here it is consistent all the time. Regardless of whether we win or lose, they're going to be around."
Clark Lea's way
While Lea's approach is unconventional, it seems to be working for the Commodores, who open this season at home against Austin Peay.
The team had the best season in program history last year, when the Commodores won 10 games for the first time. Ever.
This, a season after upsetting No. 1 Alabama.
This, with family there every step of the way.
That is "The Clark Lea Way."
"A lot of times you have your family and then you have your football family," running back Sedrick Alexandersaid. "Coach Lea does a really good job of making them both one. Because when you subtract one from the other, you start lacking time with your real family ... or start lacking time with the guys."
Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The story behind what family means to Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea
