Amid what could be the best season in program history, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea is sticking around.

The school announced on Friday that Lea had signed an extension amid interest from other jobs, namely conference foe Florida. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, it's a six-year extension that will give Lea a significant pay raise.

“I am excited to be able to continue the work we started at Vanderbilt five years ago. Throughout the process of working through this extension, I have been overwhelmed with two feelings,” Lea said in a release. “First, a sense of pride in the culture and environment we have established at Vanderbilt. Second, a sense of clarity that the work is not complete. This next phase of the program build will introduce many exciting things, including facility upgrades and needed resources for our staff and team. These investments will go a long way in ensuring our program can level up. I am grateful to have leadership from Chancellor Diermeier and Vice Chancellor Lee, who clear the way for our success. Our vision has never been about one or two seasons, rather, it has always been about sustained success at a championship level. I am thrilled to be able to continue the mission, and I appreciate all the support from Commodore Nation and our Nashville community.”

Lea is a Vandy alum who was previously the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. He was hired at Vanderbilt in 2021, and though it took him some time to get things rolling — his first three seasons resulted in sub-.500 finishes — the addition of quarterback Diego Pavia changed his fortunes.

The Commodores won seven games last season and are currently 9-2. They close the regular season against rival Tennessee on Saturday, and with a win, they have a good chance of reaching the CFP. Now, they know they have their head coach for the long haul, as well.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Another carousel domino falls as Clark Lea signs Vanderbilt extension

Reporting by Tyler Nettuno, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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