One of the biggest firings in college football in the past several weeks was LSU’s firing of Brian Kelly as head coach. That move sparked rumors about who might coach the Tigers next, and many other coaches shared their reactions.
Most recently, that included Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Clark Lea, who considers Kelly a mentor and regularly keeps in touch with him.
The Commodores are preparing for another test as they face the Texas Longhorns this weekend. Ahead of that matchup, coach Lea spoke at a press conference and expressed his thoughts about Kelly’s situation.
“I’m sad. I’m sad for his team. I’m sad for his family for him, and sad meaning he’s going to be fine. He’s a really good coach. He’s going to land on his feet,” he said.
“These are such emotional experiences, and to not be able to finish a journey with a team is just, it’s unfortunate,” Lea said, adding, “Coach Kelly’s been such a great mentor to me. He gave me a great opportunity at Notre Dame. He helped shape me through that, and I’m eternally grateful for that and wish him well.”
Read more: Vanderbilt Gets Serious Clark Lea Warning From Nick Saban
Lea indicated that he visited with Kelly on the field during LSU’s game against Vanderbilt. That game saw Vanderbilt defeat LSU, 31-24. In addition, he says they remain in contact via text.
Kelly is one of several coaches to get fired from prominent college programs this season. In addition, Penn State fired James Franklin. Given how he’s turned Vanderbilt around recently, Lea’s name has surfaced in speculation for both jobs and the head coach positions at Florida, Arkansas, and Virginia Tech.
Earlier this week, he commented on the rumors during an appearance on the “Paul Finebaum Show, calling all the attention and speculation about his future “a part of the deal.”
“I don’t think there’s any coach that doesn’t understand that these things are going to bubble up. In the world we live in now, they can bubble up from anywhere. Just like I asked the team to maintain a focus, they’re looking at me every day to set a tone and be in my process and show consistency,” he said, per On3.
Lea also reiterated that he went to Vanderbilt “to build a championship-contending program” and that he feels they have been doing necessary things to keep progressing toward that goal.
As of this writing, the Commodores (7-1) are ranked at No. 9 in the AP top 25. They’ll visit the Longhorns in an attempt to keep their momentum going towards a spot in the College Football Playoffs bracket.
Read more: Georgia’s Kirby Smart Shares Brutal Truth About LSU Firing Brian Kelly
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