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Notre Dame Football
Notre Dame Officially Hires Clark Lea as Linebackers Coach
January 12, 2017
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Notre Dame has officially hired Clark Lea to coach linebackers after stops at Wake Forest, Bowling Green, Syracuse, and UCLA.
“I’m humbled to be a part of the Notre Dame football program,” said Lea in a statement. “It’s an honor to represent such a prestigious academic institution, and to be a part of this program’s rich tradition of athletic excellence. I’d like to thank Jack Swarbrick and coach Kelly for this tremendous opportunity. I’m excited to get to work building relationships with our players, and do my part in helping coach Kelly execute his vision for the program.”
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly also issued a statement on the hiring.
“Clark is a wonderful addition to our staff,” said Kelly in the statement. “Obviously, he brings a substantial amount of knowledge about coach (Mike) Elko’s defensive system -- having worked with Mike at both Bowling Green and Wake Forest. Clark has demonstrated throughout his career an ability to not only identify unique talent in the recruiting process, but also develop that talent into high-production linebackers. As a former student-athlete, he will relate exceptionally well with our kids and provide tremendous mentorship throughout their careers at Notre Dame.”
Lea and new defensive coordinator Mike Elko worked together at Bowling Green and most recently Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons defense ranked in the Top 20 in fumbles recovered, red zone defense, scoring defense, defensive touchdowns, turnovers forced and sacks.
Lea also is a graduate of Vanderbilt.
“I’m humbled to be a part of the Notre Dame football program,” said Lea in a statement. “It’s an honor to represent such a prestigious academic institution, and to be a part of this program’s rich tradition of athletic excellence. I’d like to thank Jack Swarbrick and coach Kelly for this tremendous opportunity. I’m excited to get to work building relationships with our players, and do my part in helping coach Kelly execute his vision for the program.”
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly also issued a statement on the hiring.
“Clark is a wonderful addition to our staff,” said Kelly in the statement. “Obviously, he brings a substantial amount of knowledge about coach (Mike) Elko’s defensive system -- having worked with Mike at both Bowling Green and Wake Forest. Clark has demonstrated throughout his career an ability to not only identify unique talent in the recruiting process, but also develop that talent into high-production linebackers. As a former student-athlete, he will relate exceptionally well with our kids and provide tremendous mentorship throughout their careers at Notre Dame.”
Lea and new defensive coordinator Mike Elko worked together at Bowling Green and most recently Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons defense ranked in the Top 20 in fumbles recovered, red zone defense, scoring defense, defensive touchdowns, turnovers forced and sacks.
Lea also is a graduate of Vanderbilt.
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