Vanderbilt Extends Football Coach Clark Lea

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Vanderbilt football head coach Clark Lea. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Entering his third season at the helm of his alma mater, Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea has signed a contract extension to remain in his native Nashville. Athletics director Candice Storey Lee announced the extension on Monday.

Lea was hired as the 29th Vanderbilt football head coach in December of 2020 and quickly embarked on rebuilding the culture of his alma mater while setting forth a clear vision to become the best college football program in the country.

His 2021 debut team saw the Commodores win for the first time in 11 contests in just his second game as head coach, a victory which also snapped a 10-game road losing streak. That fall, Vanderbilt also won its first home game in nearly two years.

“I’m thrilled with our football program’s development on and off of the field under Clark Lea’s leadership,” Lee says. “He is relentless in his commitment to build a foundation that yields sustainable success. He approaches each day with the pride of an alumnus who personally understands the opportunity that lies before us, and the determination of a coach and leader who has the vision to fulfill it. Coach Lea shares our desire to be great at everything we do. I’m excited to see what comes next for this program and gratified Coach Lea will continue leading the way.”

The program continued to grow in 2022, as Vanderbilt more than doubled its win total while earning its first SEC victory since 2019, first Power 5 win since 2018, first SEC road win since 2018, first win over Florida since 2013 and first home victory over the Gators since 1988. The five wins in 2022 were the second-most by a second-year Vandy head coach dating back to 1975.

The progress shown from year one to year two was evident in more than the win total. The Commodores led the SEC and ranked fourth in the nation with four defensive touchdowns in 2022 after not registering a single defensive score the previous fall. While forcing turnovers on defense, Vandy protected the ball on offense. The Dores’ six interceptions were second-fewest in the SEC and 12th in at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level. This came after the Commodores threw 14 interceptions in 2021.

“Vanderbilt is home, it is such an honor for me to lead our football program,” Lea says. “The only way that we accomplish the mission we have set forth for Vanderbilt Football is with the vision and support from Chancellor (Daniel) Diermeier and Candice Lee. To have them acknowledge the progress we’ve made to this point, and to commit to seeing us push further on our journey means everything to me. Like everyone who is a part of our team, I will work to earn it every day, and recognize the great responsibility I have with the incredible opportunity and support I’ve been given. I also want to thank the members of our program, both student-athletes and staff. Their hard work and sacrifice is what allows for progress in our quest to build a program that makes all of Vanderbilt and Nashville proud.”

Lea’s program has also experienced success in the classroom. The 2022 team produced four College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections, the most by a Commodore team in one season. Vanderbilt also captured its fifth Academic Achievement Award from the American Football Coaches Association and tied for the SEC lead in NCAA Graduation Success Rate.

The most recent full semester (Spring 2023) saw the team post a 3.2 grade-point average, with six players earning a perfect 4.0 GPA, 22 on the Dean’s List and 71 with at least a 3.0 GPA. In 2022, 44 players made the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, while four players were named to the Hampshire Honor Society by the National Football Foundation.

Prior to his time at Vanderbilt, Lea was a successful assistant coach across college football. As defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, he helped the Fighting Irish to a pair of undefeated regular seasons and College Football Playoff berths in 2018 and 2020. He was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, presented to the nation’s top assistant coach, in 2020.

Lea also had stints as an assistant coach at Wake Forest, Syracuse, Bowling Green, UCLA and South Dakota State.

The Nashville native attended Montgomery Bell Academy and played baseball at Birmingham-Southern and Belmont before spending three seasons on the football team at Vanderbilt. He earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in political science during his time at Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt Invites Football Fans To ‘SEC Nation’ Next Week

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Vanderbilt will kick off the 2023 college football season on Tuesday (July 18) when the SEC Football Media Days begin and the Commodores take over television program SEC Nation.

This is part of the SEC Network boasting 47 hours of original programming surrounding the 2023 SEC Kickoff Presented by Regions, the most in the network’s history. SEC This Morning, SEC Now and The Paul Finebaum Show will showcase complete coverage from the annual Media Days event, set in Nashville for the first time – the third city to host the event, and feature a special edition of SEC Nation on Tuesday night.

SEC Nation Presented by Regions will originate from Lower Broadway in Nashville at 6 p.m. on SEC Network and ESPN2, followed by a live concert from Grammy-nominated band Midland. The show and concert are both free for fans to attend, with the stage located at the intersection of 4th Ave. and Broadway. Former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers will serve as one of the hosts of SEC Nation.

In addition to Rodgers, Vanderbilt fans in attendance will also see Head Coach Clark Lea appear on the show alongside Nashville native and huge Commodore fan, Grammy-nominated comedian Nate Bargatze.

The 2023 SEC Kickoff includes Media Days hosted in Nashville July 17-20. Lea will be accompanied by players Ethan Barr, Jaylen Mahoney and Will Sheppard to represent the Commodores on Tuesday morning. Live coverage is available on SEC Network throughout the week.

Vanderbilt will also be the first SEC team to hit the gridiron this season when the Commodores host Hawaii on Aug. 26. For more information, click here.

MTSU Baseball’s Jaden Hamm & Eriq Swan Selected In 2023 MLB Draft

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Pictured (top): Jaden Hamm; (bottom): Eriq Swan. Photos: Courtesy of MTSU Athletics

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) baseball standouts Jaden Hamm and Eriq Swan were just selected in the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.  Hamm, a junior in 2023, was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the fifth round as the No. 143 overall pick. Swan was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the No. 137 overall pick.

Hamm was ranked as the No. 218 overall draft prospect coming into the weekend by MLB Pipeline. He spent three seasons with the Blue Raider program, and was a starter in each regular season series this past year.

“This is a dream come true, and I can’t thank everyone that helped me get here enough,” Hamm says.

In 2023, Hamm led the Blue Raiders in starts (14), innings pitched (79.2) and strikeouts (93). He was a Conference USA First Team member. The 6’1 righty had the program’s first complete-game, nine-inning, one-hit shutout since 1976 on March 10 against Evansville, striking out a career-high 11 batters. Hamm matched that strikeout total in win over UAB on May 13, and made three appearances out of the bullpen in the Conference USA Championships.

Swan, a junior in 2023, was a No. 240 overall prospect in the draft rankings coming into the weekend. The power thrower spent three seasons with the Blue Raiders, and was featured in the regular starting rotation as a sophomore and junior, with a fastball topping in the triple digits. He was drafted higher than any Blue Raider since Bryce Brentz, who went in the first round at No. 36 overall to the Boston Red Sox in 2010.

Standing at 6’6 and 240 pounds, Swan struck out 71 batters in 2023 across 16 total appearances, 12 of those being starts. He left the game with a no-hitter on May 13 against UAB, pitching 5.2 innings, and allowed just one run in C-USA Championships opening round in a win against UTSA, pitching six innings and earning a spot on the C-USA Championships All-Tournament team.

Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent Named Semifinalist For AAU James E. Sullivan Award

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Gordon Sargent. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt men’s golf student-athlete Gordon Sargent has been named a semifinalist for the 93rd Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) James E. Sullivan Award.

The AAU James E. Sullivan Award honors an outstanding athlete in the United States, and has been presented annually by the AAU since 1930 as a salute to the Founder & past President of the Amateur Athletic Union and a pioneer in amateur sports, James E. Sullivan. Based on the qualities of leadership, character and sportsmanship, the award goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character as well. Winners achieve great success on a national and international stage through competition in collegiate athletics, Olympic pursuit or similar high-profile competitions.

This year’s winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Sept. 19 at the historic New York Athletic Club, the birthplace of the AAU.

Currently the top-ranked individual in the men’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, Sargent went 3-0-1 to help the United States win the Arnold Palmer Cup last month, and will represent the country again at the 49th Walker Cup Match in September. He was the low amateur at the 2023 U.S. Open while also earning an invitation to compete at the Masters Tournament this year. He received exemptions to the Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic, and made the cut on the PGA Tour earlier this month.

The Birmingham, Alabama, native was a finalist for the Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Haskins Awards, and was selected as the National Player of the Year by Golfweek this season. In addition to earning First-Team All-American honors from the Golf Coaches Association of America and First-Team All-Region recognition, Sargent was named the SEC Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-League honors.

Sargent competed in 12 events for the Commodores in 2022-2023, recording 11 top-10 finishes highlighted by three individual victories while posting a 68.5 scoring average. His efforts helped Vandy claim six tournament titles during the season, leading them to earn the top overall seed in the NCAA Championships.

Sargent is one of 25 semifinalists in consideration for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award this year. A week-long voting period to determine the six finalists is active and the public can now vote. Individuals will be able to submit one vote per day until 10:59 p.m. CT on July 19. For more information, click here.

Past recipients include Bobby Jones, Mark Spitz, Carl Lewis, Peyton Manning, Michael Phelps, Tim Tebow and Ezekiel Elliott.

Hunter Owen & Four Other Vanderbilt Players Selected In MLB Draft

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Hunter Owen. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

As the MLB Draft continues, five more Vandy Boys were selected in the second round on Monday, July 10.

Vanderbilt’s five draftees in Rounds 3-10 were most in the SEC. The day started with left-handed pitcher Hunter Owen going to the Kansas City Royals in the third round.

Owen tallied 12 starts on the mound for the Dores and led the staff with 76 strikeouts. Owen finished the season with a 4-0 record and a 3.52 ERA. He walked just 17 batters and held opposing hitters to a .219 average.

The southpaw turned in three quality starts on the season including a seven-inning outing at Alabama where he totaled nine strikeouts and gave up just one earned on two hits. He was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 20 after tossing a 96-pitch, two-hit, complete-game shutout vs. No. 3 Ole Miss with a career-high 11 strikeouts. Owen retired the final 23 batters he faced in win.

Patrick Reilly, a right-handed pitcher, was next to be chosen as the Pittsburgh Pirates took him in the fifth round.

The junior from Sea Girt, New Jersey, has 187 strikeouts over 144 innings in three seasons for Vanderbilt, averaging 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings. Reilly increased his K/9 to 12.1 in 2023 with 65 strikeouts, third most on the team, over 48.1 innings pitched.

Reilly made 16 appearances in 2023, including four starts. He went 5-4 with a 5.77 ERA.

Right-handed pitcher Nick Maldonado was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the eighth round.

The senior from Short Hills, New Jersey, made 67 appearances for Vanderbilt over the past four seasons, totaling 17 saves, fifth most in program history. Maldonado’s 2.62 ERA ranks tied for fifth best by a Commodore.

Maldonado posted a career-best 1.45 ERA in 2023. He tallied eight saves with 40 strikeouts while only walking seven. Maldonado held opposing hitters to a .135 average and tossed the final inning of Vandy’s combined no-hitter at Minnesota on March 5.

The righty earned All-America honors as a senior from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and was named All-SEC.

A pair of Commodores were selected in the ninth round to bring Vandy’s total to five for the day. Thomas Schultz was drafted by the Washington Nationals and RJ Schreck was picked by the Seattle Mariners.

Schultz posted a career 3.38 ERA over 62 appearances and 125.1 innings as a Commodore. Schultz recorded 10 career saves with eight of those coming as a junior in 2022. The righty closed out his 2023 campaign with 9.2 scoreless innings, including 4.0 shutout frames against Alabama in Vandy’s win at the SEC Tournament.

Schreck played one season at Vanderbilt after a four-year career at Duke. He hit .306 with a team-high 14 home runs and 59 RBIs, also most by a Dore. Schreck also led Vanderbilt in slugging (.588) and on-base percentage (.454).

Vanderbilt has six players chosen in this year’s draft so far. Enrique Bradfield Jr. was selected 17th overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round on Sunday night.

The 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft draft wraps up Tuesday with Rounds 11-20.

Vanderbilt’s Enrique Bradfield Jr. Selected By Orioles In MLB Draft

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Enrique Bradfield Jr. holding the SEC Tournament trophy. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt baseball superstar Enrique Bradfield Jr. was selected 17th overall in the first round of the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft by the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday night (July 9). 

Bradfield is Vanderbilt’s 22nd first-round selection in the Tim Corbin era (2003-present), which marks the most in the SEC. The Commodores have boasted a first-round pick in each of the last five MLB Drafts.

The electric center fielder has earned All-American honors all three seasons at Vanderbilt and won the Gold Glove Award twice, the first Commodore to do so. With 37 steals during his junior campaign bringing his career total to 130, Bradfield became Vandy’s all-time leader in the category. He was also one of Vanderbilt’s best fielders, finishing his college career with a fielding percentage of .985, while finishing the 2023 season with a perfect fielding percentage. 

Bradfield earned NCBWA All-American and ABCA All-Region honors in 2023, and was also named to the All-SEC Second Team and the All-Defensive Team. He totaled 69 runs scored to lead the Commodores and had the third-most hits on the team.

The Hialeah, Florida, native hit .311 over the past three seasons with 198 runs scored, third-most in Vandy history.

Vanderbilt Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee Reappointed For Another Five Years

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Candice Storey Lee. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt

Candice Storey Lee has been reappointed as Vanderbilt University’s vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2023. 

 A former standout student-athlete at Vanderbilt and three-time graduate of the university, Lee was named to the vice chancellor and athletic director role in May 2020. She is Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first Black woman to head an athletics program in the Southeastern Conference. 

“Candice Lee’s pathbreaking tenure at Vanderbilt has included the transformation of our athletics program through Vandy United and tremendous progress toward our goal of making Vanderbilt Athletics a second-to-none experience in all of college sports for our student-athletes, alumni and fans,” Chancellor Daniel Diermeier says. “Candice embodies our university’s rich values and is a tireless advocate for our student-athletes’ success. I look forward to continuing our collaboration, with the goal of taking Vanderbilt Athletics to unparalleled new heights.” 

Announced in March 2021, Vandy United is the university’s bold investment in its athletic programs. As part of the initiative, Vanderbilt announced in April 2023 the creation of the Frist Athletics Village. Made possible by an unprecedented philanthropic gift from Vanderbilt trustee Jennifer R. Frist, BS’93, and William R. (Billy) Frist, the complex encompasses the entirety of the campus neighborhood that is currently home to Vanderbilt Athletics and many key Vandy United initiatives. In May, the university announced that Vandy United had achieved its initial $300 million fundraising goal—the largest campaign in the history of the athletics program. 

Projects that have been announced or are currently underway include a new football operations center; a significant renovation and expansion of the McGugin Center; a new indoor practice facility for football; a new basketball operations center; the newly expanded and enhanced Lummis Family Tennis Center; major updates to the Vanderbilt Legends Club, home of the men’s and women’s golf teams; and significant enhancements to Hawkins Field, home of VandyBoys baseball. Upgrades to Vanderbilt Stadium to improve the fan experience will include premium seating, new hospitality space, upgraded food and beverage options and more. 

“I’m grateful to Chancellor Diermeier for his partnership and commitment to our shared vision for what is possible at Vanderbilt. It’s an honor to serve the student-athletes who choose to be Commodores and the lifelong community of alumni and supporters who make this university special,” Lee says. “And a special thank you to our dedicated coaches and staff and my campus colleagues for their trust and support. 

In August 2022, Vanderbilt announced a 10-year football stadium naming rights and campus collaboration agreement with FirstBank in alignment with the Vandy United goal of broadening opportunities for community engagement. 

In November 2022, the university announced the creation of the Ingram Center for Student-Athlete Success, to be funded with part of the lead gift to the Vandy United campaign made by longtime supporter and Board of Trust member John R. Ingram. Housed within the McGugin Center, this initiative represents a restructured approach to how Vanderbilt Athletics supports academic, personal and career development. 

During Lee’s tenure as vice chancellor and athletic director, Vanderbilt student-athletes have earned two national championships (including bowling’s third national title in April, and Gordon Sargent’s individual national title in men’s golf in 2022) and six conference championships. She also led efforts to restore volleyball as Vanderbilt’s 17th varsity sport, announced in April 2022 during the 50th anniversary of Title IX. 

“As a new athletic year approaches and we move forward, much hard work remains,” Lee says. “But with each shovel in the ground and each victory on the field of play, we dare to grow. I know the best days are ahead for Commodore Nation. I can’t wait to continue our journey.”

A team captain, four-year letter winner and five-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree as a member of the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team, Lee helped lead the Commodores to an SEC Tournament championship and NCAA Elite Eight appearance in her final season in 2002. She graduated from Vanderbilt with a bachelor of science in human and organizational development in 2000 and received her master’s degree in counseling in 2002 and her doctorate in higher education administration in 2012. 

In 2021, Lee received Vanderbilt Peabody College’s Distinguished Alumna Award. Members of Vanderbilt’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee awarded her the inaugural Staff Appreciation Award in 2022 in recognition of her leadership. Also in 2022, Lee was named Athletic Director of the Year at the Black Student-Athlete Summit. She currently serves or has served on the boards of directors for the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Nashville Sports Council, YWCA of Middle Tennessee and The Family Center.  

MTSU Athletics Announces Seats For Soldiers Initiative

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Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)’s Athletic Department has announced their 2023 Seats for Soldiers initiative, which allows fans to purchase and donate seats directly to U.S. Veterans, current U.S. Military members and their families.

The Blue Raider community can now purchase sideline reserved tickets for $16 (reg. $24) for this special occasion, and the athletic department will match every ticket purchased and donated to veterans and military members. All tickets will be provided for the Nov. 11 Salute to Veterans and Armed Forces football game against Florida International, and all guests will be invited onto the field at halftime in a show of patriotism as fans give thanks for their service to our country.

“We have a deep rooted tradition here at Middle Tennessee State with the nation’s longest running Salute to Veterans and Armed Forces themed-game, with this season being the 41st year”, says James Kentfield, Assistant Athletic Director – Ticket Operations & Sales. “Then you add in the incredible work that The Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center does here on campus, and the fantastic relationship we have working with them, you’ll quickly see a campus that is very proud of our nation’s military members – past and present. I’d like to ask our Blue Raider family during this most patriotic time of year as we celebrate July 4th to consider purchasing and donating a few game tickets that will enable our cherished servicewomen and men to join us on Nov. 11 for the football game!”

For more information, click here.