Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly did not have to look very far to find his next defensive coordinator. Linebackers coach Clark Lea has been promoted to the role of defensive coordinator in South Bend. Lea replaces Mike Elko, who was hired away for the same role by Texas A&M.
“I cannot express how grateful I am to Father Jenkins, Jack Swarbrick and Brian Kelly for their confidence in my ability to take on this new role,” Lea said in a released statement from the university. “I am indebted to them, and to the student-athletes that I have been blessed to work with over the past year — without their commitment and belief in me, I realize that none of this would be possible. Notre Dame represents everything I want to be a part of in my career as an educator, and I am deeply humbled to be able to continue my work here.”
“Clark has quickly established himself as a rising star in the coaching profession,” Kelly said. “He immediately commands the respect of those around him, whether that be in a meeting room, on a practice field or in a prospective student-athlete’s living room. Clark has demonstrated an ability to motivate, lead, teach and mentor through a positive teaching environment, while also developing the necessary traits of excellence in our players.”
Leas joined the Notre Dame coaching staff in 2017 after one season as a linebackers coach at Wake Forest. Lea has also coached at Syracuse and Bowling Green The Vanderbilt alum started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UCLA.