Clark Lea was the lowest-paid coach in the SEC, with a contract valued at just $3.5 million. It was clearly an underpaid deal, a fact he proved when Vanderbilt shocked Alabama under Kalen DeBoer.

Sure, Alabama got its revenge this season, but that hasn’t dented Coach Lea’s legacy — guiding Vanderbilt to a 9-2 overall record and a 5-2 mark in conference play. The Vanderbilt program fully understands that the level Coach Lea has brought them to is nothing short of legendary — an achievement not everyone can claim.

Even if it took them some time, they now recognize his true value, and the credit for that realization goes largely to James Franklin and Penn State. Vanderbilt might never have realized Clark Lea’s true value if Penn State hadn’t shown interest in him to fill the void left by Ja

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