Clark Lea wants to continue building things at Vanderbilt to ensure this one successful season isn't the rarity.

It’s no surprise, then, that Lea has been greatly disappointed by the ‘Dores’ results against Tennessee during his tenure. In 2021, Lea’s first season, the Vols hammered Vandy 45-21, sending the ‘Dores to an 0-8 mark in SEC play.

When Clark Lea's oldest son got sick about five years ago and was in the hospital for eight days, Brian Kelly — at the time vacationing overseas — called to check in on Lea's family. Today, Lea remembers that gesture when he thinks back on the mentorship Kelly, now the head coach at LSU, gave him.

Here's what Clark Lea said about the importance of the rivalry between Vanderbilt football and Tennessee. The Chiefs were headed out of the stadium after securing a win over the Carolina Panthers when the incident occurred