SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame assistant coach Clark Lea is a defensive coordinator masquerading as a philosophy professor. Or, perhaps, he’s a philosophy professor lecturing daily to the Irish defense. “When he’s up there,” Irish redshirt senior Drue Tranquill says of the defensive meetings, “you would think you’re in a lecture hall.”

Professor Lea starts every defensive briefing with the first slide declaring the boldest goal: national championship. And while that dollop of motivation could be used anywhere from Tucson to Orono, Lea has provided the direction to fulfill the vision. That includes imploring players to envision who they’d hug first on the field, and to imagine the feeling of confetti sticking to their uniforms. “You create this tangible experience,” Lea said recently in his office, “that you’re fighting for every day.”

Not even the widest-eyed Irish optimist could have envisioned Lea, 37, having such resounding success in his debut season. When coach Brian Kelly promoted him from linebackers coach after Mike Elko’s departure to Texas A&M last January, inherent drop-offs were expected. After all, this marked Lea’s first full-time coordinator and play-caller gig, and Michigan loomed in the opening game.

Twelve victories and the school’s first College Football Playoff bid later, Notre Dame’s defense has taken on the unflinching personality of its first-year coordinator. That confetti feels much more tangible than aspirational after the Irish (12-0) finished No. 10 nationally in scoring defense (17.3 ppg), No. 20 in total defense (331.5 ypg) and play No. 2 Clemson in the Cotton Bowl next week for a spot in the national title game. “Clark could be a professor,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told Yahoo Sports. “But he’s going to be a great defensive coordinator for as long as wants because he has that unique ability to connect with players.”

Along the way, Lea’s forged a leadership style of compelling contrasts – more bookish than boisterous, meticulous while remaining a high-end motivator and an “almost fully functioning vegetarian” who shuns the sport’s red-meat subculture of “frothing at the mouth and spewing profanity.” The philosophy professor maintains a simple syllabus: “In order to have influence, you have to have a relationship,” Lea told Yahoo Sports in his office recently, summing up his philosophy. “You can’t expect to enact change in someone if they’re not willing to hear you.”

Lea, of course, is quick to deflect Notre Dame’s success to the players. The Irish are thriving in the scheme that Elko brought from Wake Forest two years ago. Lea came with him as the linebackers coach, and since becoming coordinator has evolved the 4-2-5 scheme to become more multiple and led Notre Dame 26 spots higher in total defense national ranking and to a 21-place improvement in scoring defense. Defensive back Julian Love, lineman Jerry Tillery and linebacker Te’von Coney all earned Associated Press All-America honors. “In college football, if you can get a talented group of guys with their cleats in the grass on the same page,” Tranquill said, “you’ve got a really good chance to play great defense.”

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea forges special relationships with his players. (Getty) More

But they’re far more effusive about his style than his schemes. Lea prides himself on personal connection, with his philosophy being that he needs to develop a close enough relationship with players so he can reach them. “I have a side conversation going with almost every player on our defense,” Lea said. “They need to know the heartbeat that’s in front of them.”

Tranquill recalls a turning point in his season – and relationship with Lea – coming during fall camp. Lea called him to his office and told him what Tranquill refers to as the “corny story” of a prune bush. The basic moral of the story was that Lea had a prune bush, its appearance aggravated him and he needed to pare it down before it blossomed.

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