Nick Saban sends warning to Vanderbilt about Clark Lea's future

Nick Saban may be retired from coaching, but the legendary Alabama head coach still knows how to stir up a crowd.

As ESPN’s “College GameDay” returned to Vanderbilt’s campus for the first time since 2008, Saban issued a warning about the Commodores’ rising head coach, Clark Lea, ahead of Saturday’s Top 15 showdown with Missouri.

“I don’t want to make anybody mad here, but they better do something to keep Clark Lea here, because he’s gonna go someplace,” Saban said.

Pat McAfee was next to Saban, saying, “Jeez, they were just chanting your name,” after the remark briefly turned Vanderbilt fans on him. 

Lea has guided Vanderbilt to a 6-1 record entering the weekend, which is a stunning turnaround for a program long regarded as the SEC’s bottom-feeder. Since taking over in 2021, Lea has gradually rebuilt the Commodores from a 2-10 record in his first season. 

McAfee reminded Saban about once calling Vanderbilt “an easy place to play" in the SEC, but he quickly reversed course, declaring, “Coach Saban is jumping on the Vanderbilt bandwagon!" It earned a roar of approval from the crowd in Nashville. 

CAA/Jimmy Sexton client Nick Saban tells the GameDay crowd that Vanderbilt “better do something to keep (CAA/Sexton client) Clark Lea here cause he’s gonna go someplace.”

Lea also joined the GameDay crew and reflected on the journey. “Vanderbilt deserves this. Our students deserve this. Our community deserves this, and we want to keep it going.” He credited offensive coordinator Tim Beck and quarterback Diego Pavia for elevating the program’s belief and competitiveness.

Saturday’s matchup with Eli Drinkwitz’s 15th-ranked Missouri Tigers marks another test for Vanderbilt, and perhaps another step in Lea’s rapid ascent. We'll see how far the Commodores will fly in the SEC this season. 

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