Vanderbilt Snubs Clark Lea For James Franklin

Love the SEC Baseball Tournament because it still feels like college sports

The way James Franklin told it, he and his family were in Destin, Fla., the favorite vacation spot of college football coaches near and far, when he saw an opportunity. Vanderbilt was playing in the SEC Baseball Tournament championship game, and though he left Vandy for Penn State 12 years ago, he still has a special place in his heart for the school that gave him his first chance to be a head coach.It helped that, during his three years in Nash…

Vanderbilt Snubs Clark Lea For James Franklin

James Franklin was in the Vanderbilt dugout for Saturday’s college baseball conference championship game against Ole Miss. Head football coach Clark Lea sat in the stands. Wait, what?! Yes, you read that correctly. Franklin is actually the most successful college football coach in Vanderbilt history. He led the Commodores to back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2012 and 2013 with two bowl wins and a top-25 ranking. They had not won nine games in a s…

Penn State HC James Franklin Cheers on Vanderbilt Baseball From Dugout

Penn State coach James Franklin used to be the boss at Vanderbilt, and he showed Sunday that he still has an appreciation for the school. Franklin was in the Vandy dugout for the team’s SEC Baseball Championship Game against Ole Miss. James Franklin pulled up to the SEC baseball tournament to support his long-time friend and Vandy head coach Tim Corbin @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/Ud9MRmJVSg — ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) May 25, 2025 This i…

James Franklin in Vanderbilt dugout, Clark Lea in the stands for SEC title game

There’s an interesting dynamic at play in Hoover, Alabama, as Vanderbilt battles Ole Miss for the SEC Baseball Tournament title. Former Vanderbilt football head coach James Franklin is not just in attendance at the game, but present in the Commodores’ dugout. Franklin, who has been at Penn State since 2014, spent 3 seasons as Vandy’s head coach from 2011-13. During that time, he built up a good relationship with Vandy baseball coach Tim Corbin —…