Clark Lea is already filling the void after losing a key piece of his defensive trust six days ago. When Michigan zeroed in on Vanderbilt co-DC and DL coach Larry Black, Lea needed to act quickly. That was a painful loss for the Commodores, since Black played an instrumental role in helping them secure their first 10-win season ever in 2025. However, the head coach upgraded his staff with a coach with an NFL pedigree.

According to FootballScoop, Vanderbilt is set to hire Adam Morris away from the Cleveland Browns as the Edges/Defensive Run Game Coordinator. He had just joined the $6.4 billion franchise in 2025 and was set with the new NFL setup. Instead, he’s choosing an expanded opportunity in Nashville with Clark Lea.

Adam Morris is a proven defensive coach with a track record of building dominant fronts. At Buffalo in 2024, his D-line set a school record for tackles for loss. His eye for talent was also evident at Ball State, where he served as recruiting coordinator. This blend of on-field results and off-field development is precisely what Lea needs to maintain the program’s defensive momentum.

So what exactly is Clark Lea getting in Adam Morris? Vanderbilt gets a former Ball State DT and team captain who understands both development and structure. If you’re coordinating the defensive run game, you’d better understand blocking schemes, and Morris does. And now he steps into an SEC room that just made serious strides under Larry Black. The question is whether he can maintain or raise that bar.

Vanderbilt used to be the easiest team to play in the SEC, even Nick Saban said that. But that’s not the case anymore, and the bar isn’t low. Under Larry Black in 2024, the Dores’ rushing defense jumped from 104th nationally to 52nd, while sacks improved from 101st to 64th. That shows good progress when they’re staring down elite O-lines every week. 

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Larry Black helped engineer the program’s first winning season and bowl victory in over a decade. Michigan didn’t hire him by accident, as he’ll now coach DTs in Ann Arbor alongside Lewis Powell, while Jay Hill, fresh from BYU, calls the defense. But Vanderbilt is not shrinking from it.

Clark Lea keeps building on both sides of the ball

While reshaping the defensive front, Clark Lea also made a big addition offensively, hiring former Tennessee OL Jackson Lampley as assistant OL coach. One of his biggest achievements is allowing just one sack in 647 offensive snaps. But the backstory is even better. Lampley’s hire also brings a deep personal connection to the program, as he shares an alma mater with Clark Lea at Montgomery Bell Academy.

His father, Brad Lampley, is also a Tennessee loyalist who played OT from 1994 to 1997 and blocked for Peyton Manning. After finishing at Tennessee, Jackson began his coaching career as an offensive intern at LSU under Brian Kelly in 2025. Now he’s back home, switching sides of the rivalry.

The Commodores open the 2026 season on September 5 against Austin Peay at FirstBank Stadium. They’ll host Tennessee on November 28 after defeating them 45-24 at Neyland Stadium last November. The Black and Gold spring game is on April 18, giving fans their first look at Vanderbilt’s edge room and the continued evolution of this defensive front.