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I specifically named Cincy as the kind of job that someone like Lea (hot name/short-term coordinator) is sometimes in line for. I very much had Fickell in mind there. He was the first guy I thought of in considering all of this. He was a DC at a top program under Urban Meyer, who also had brief interim HC experience. He was in a strong position for a coordinator, and he landed the Cincy job: An AAC school that went 18-14 in conference under its prior coach. Fickell coming out of OSU is about where I see Lea right now. I guess because Fickell has done so well there that the Cincy HC spot is a higher profile. But it is still AAC, and I find the idea of it being a better job than an SEC opportunity a little sketchy. Ditto UCF. Iowa State? Was basically where Vandy is before Campbell came in, off his experience as a DC, and turned things around from the Rhodes era. I guess it is a “better job” now because Campbell elevated them. Something Lea might imagine himself doing at Vandy, like Franklin did there for a couple of seasons. I think a few posters here think Lea is going to be in line for a top-line power 5 HC job after the season, and that just isn’t realistic in my opinion.

That’s a long way for me to say that if the suggestion is that Lea should pass on his alma mater because UCF might open up, . . I really don’t get it. If he’s ready to take a HC job now, I have a hard time seeing him landing a much “better job” than Vanderbilt at this point. Maybe I’m wrong. At the end of the day, he’s been a very good DC at a top program for three years. Everything I’ve written is premised on the idea that Lea will be taking a job after this season, which seemed to be the nature of the thread. I agree that if he sticks at ND for some time longer, it could put him in a stronger position for better jobs — the Venables model. Which might be a better big picture path for him. I’d love that because I’d like to see him at ND as long as possible. I’m in line with the first 2 paragraphs of your most recent response. I can only guess if he will stay or go after this season.