Lea Named 2026 AFCA President

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The American Football Coaches Association has named Vanderbilt E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Football Clark Lea as the 2026 president of the organization.

Finishing his fifth season at the helm of Vanderbilt football, Lea earned his second straight AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honor after guiding Vanderbilt to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl. It was the program’s first 10-win season, and the first time the program won six SEC games. The Commodores defeated four nationally-ranked teams throughout the season, including three—South Carolina, LSU and Missouri—that were among the top 15 in the polls at the time of the matchup. The former Commodore earned the SEC Coach of the Year award in consecutive seasons and was also named the 2025 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

Lea was named to the AFCA Board of Trustees in 2024. He is the second head coach from Vanderbilt to serve as president. D.E. McGugin served as president of the association in 1933.

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