Diego Pavia hopes Clark Lea lands NFL job, continues coaching him

The last two seasons have been some of the most exciting in the modern history of Vanderbilt Commodores football. That success and excitement are, in no small part, thanks to the success of quarterback Diego Pavia and head coach Clark Lea working together.

This is going to be the final year for the pairing in college. Pavia already made that clear earlier in the year with a post on social media. There, he denied that he wanted a seventh season of eligibility. At the same time, as Pavia prepares to take a crack at the NFL in a year, he does hope that his college coach can make that jump with him.

“I love playing for Coach Lea,” Diego Pavia said. “You know, I told him that I hope he gets an NFL job and he takes me with him. That’s how much I love that guy. I appreciate him for everything he’s done for me. I wouldn’t want to go to battle with any other head coach in the SEC.”

At the end of the 2023 season, Vanderbilt had gone 9-27 in three seasons under Lea. Looking to spark his team, Lea hired Jerry Kill, who had previously been at New Mexico State. Together, they decided to give Pavia, who had been Kill’s quarterback at New Mexico State, a shot at the SEC. He quickly proved that it was the right choice, leading the Commodores to a 7-6 record with a Birmingham Bowl win and an upset over Alabama. He’s since followed that up by becoming one of the most entertaining quarterbacks in the college game and helping Vanderbilt to a 5-1 start this season.

There are on 32 NFL head coaching jobs and, as of now, none of them are open. Even with some coaching changes coming at that level later in the season, there are only so many openings. So, it’s not likely that Lea makes the jump from his alma mater to the NFL. At the same time, Lea has made it clear earlier this season that he is focused on giving Pavia his chance at playing professional football.

“We’re focused pretty intensely on the climb we face each week… Obviously, I love Diego and support him all the way. What he and I talk about is his launching into an NFL career. That’s what I want to see him do. He deserves that opportunity. Obviously, week in and week out, he’s proving he can do it at this level, at the highest level,” Lea said. “And so I’ll be excited to see him pursue that when his time here is done. Right now, we’re gonna try to get everything we can out of this season, which means we’re going to get everything we can out of this week.”

This year, Pavia has played his way into some Heisman consideration. He has completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,409 yards and 14 touchdowns to five interceptions. He also has 352 rushing yards and another two scores on the ground.

Even with a loss to Alabama in their last game, Vanderbilt sits at 5-1 and is ready to make noise in SEC play. That’s something that hasn’t been possible in the past and not without the combination of Pavia and Lea.