Clark Lea joins BGSU football staff
Former UCLA coach to lead Falcon linebackers
2/20/2012BOWLING GREEN -- Former UCLA football assistant coach Clark Lea has been added to the staff at Bowling Green State University, head coach Dave Clawson announced Monday. Lea, who will coach the linebackers at BG, replaces Stan Watson, who left for a job at the University of Toledo.
Lea served as linebackers coach for the Bruins for the past three seasons. Lea spent the past three seasons at UCLA, and also was an assistant coach at South Dakota State in 2007-08. He was a graduate assistant at UCLA in 2006 and a defensive intern in 2005.
“We are very excited to have Clark Lea and his family join our Bowling Green staff,” Clawson said. “Clark’s experience at the highest level of college football as both a player and coach will benefit our staff and players from both a recruiting and coaching standpoint. Clark came highly recommended from people I trust and know in the coaching profession and will be an excellent addition to our staff.”
Prior to UCLA, Lea served as an offensive graduate assistant (running backs) at Vanderbilt University in the Spring of 2005. Lea was a three-year letter-winner at Vanderbilt University from 2002-2004, the final year as a graduate student. Lea (whose last name is pronounced LEE) also played baseball in college, lettering at Belmont University in 2001-2002 and Birmingham Southern College in 2000-2001.
During his collegiate career, Lea was a member of the SEC Honor Roll and an All-Academic SEC honoree. He was also a John Wooden Cup finalist, a trophy awarded by Athletes for a Better World, and a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame honoree. He earned a bachelors in political science from Vanderbilt in 2005 and a Masters in political science from Vanderbilt in 2007.