Clark Lea Named Finalist for 2025 Dodd Trophy After Historic Season at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea continues to rack up the accolades after a season that’s already cemented its place in program history. On Wednesday, Lea was named a finalist for the 2025 Dodd Trophy-an honor that goes beyond just wins and losses. This award, presented by PNC Bank along with the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., recognizes the rare blend of on-field success, academic excellence, and leadership that defined Bobby Dodd’s legacy.
And Lea fits that mold to a tee.
He joins a short list of finalists that includes Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire, and Georgia’s Kirby Smart. The winner will be announced in Atlanta during bowl week at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, which doubles as one of this year’s College Football Playoff semifinals.
Lea’s resume this season speaks volumes. He led Vanderbilt to a 10-2 overall record and a 6-2 mark in SEC play-both program bests. That’s not just a good year by Vanderbilt standards; that’s a seismic shift for a program that’s long lived in the shadows of its conference heavyweights.
The Commodores didn’t just stack wins-they took down giants. Four of their victories came against nationally-ranked teams, including three (South Carolina, LSU, and Missouri) that were sitting inside the top 15 at the time. That kind of résumé doesn’t just earn respect-it demands it.
As a result, Vanderbilt crashed the AP rankings in September and hasn’t left since, holding firm in the top 25 for 13 straight weeks. That’s uncharted territory for the program, which had never spent more than four weeks in the poll during a single season. Heading into their Dec. 31 showdown against Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Commodores are ranked inside the top 15 in both the AP and AFCA coaches’ polls.
Lea’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed within coaching circles either. He was recently named the 2025 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and earned AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year honors.
He also repeated as SEC Coach of the Year-no small feat in a league where the coaching talent runs as deep as the rosters. On top of that, he’s still in the running for the George Munger National Coach of the Year award and was a finalist for both the Walter Camp and AFCA Coach of the Year honors.
But what sets the Dodd Trophy apart is its emphasis on the full picture. It’s not just about the scoreboard-it’s about the classroom, the community, and the character of the coach leading the charge.
Finalists are selected by a panel that includes past winners, national media, a Dodd family representative, and a College Football Hall of Famer. They weigh everything from graduation rates and APR scores to charitable work and leadership off the field.
In that regard, Lea’s candidacy is as strong as his win-loss record. Under his leadership, Vanderbilt has not only become a force on Saturdays but a model of consistency and integrity off the field as well.
For a program that’s often been overlooked in the SEC conversation, this season has been a statement. And at the center of it all is Clark Lea-a coach who’s not just building a winner, but doing it the right way.