Notre Dame Officially Hires Clark Lea As Linebackers Coach
Notre Dame’s hiring of Clark Lea as linebackers coach is now official.
The Irish announced the hire Thursday afternoon in a press release.
“I’m humbled to be a part of the Notre Dame football program,” Lea said 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.”
Lea’s hiring was speculated since Mike Elko was reported as the team’s new defensive coordinator. The two worked together at both Bowling Green and Wake Forest.
Lea, 35, coached the linebackers at Wake Forest in 2016. He held the same position at Syracuse from 2013-15. Lea is a 2004 Vanderbilt grad who has previously coached as an assistant at UCLA, Bowling Green and South Dakota State.
“Clark is a wonderful addition to our staff,” Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said in a statement. “Obviously, he brings a substantial amount of knowledge about Coach 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.”
Wake Forest finished No. 23 in the nation in scoring defense in 2016. Demon Deacons linebacker Marquel Lee was second-team All-ACC under Lea’s guidance, finishing with a team-high 105 tackles and 20 tackles for loss.
Bringing on Lea means a shift of 2015-16 linebackers coach Mike Elston to the defensive line, leaving no room for Keith Gilmore, the team’s defensive line coach for the past two seasons.
Elston previously coached the team’s defensive line from 2010-14. He is also Notre Dame’s recruiting coordinator.
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