NASHVILLE - Construction is both a literal and figurative term for Clark Lea and the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Vanderbilt's campus is currently awash in construction equipment. The team's home at FirstBank Stadium is undergoing renovations that will extend into the 2023 season.

But Lea is also embracing the task of building up the Vanderbilt program as he enters his third season at the helm of his alma mater.

"We're playing the long game at Vanderbilt," Lea said. "Rather than have our program blowing in the wind, moved by the latest trends in the broader landscape of college football, we've chosen to set our foundation in deep and solid ground, and we're committed to seeing our mission through."

Lea took over a Commodore team that went 0-9 in the shortened Covid season in 2020. His first year saw more struggles en route to a 2-10 finish.

But Vanderbilt showed improvement in 2022. The Commodores finished 5-7 overall and 2-6 in the SEC, notching conference wins over Florida and Kentucky. Vanderbilt won an SEC game for the first time since 2019 and multiple conference games for the first time since 2018.

"A year ago we were hard at work on the foundational identity of our program, while also searching for on-field progress," Lea said. "This led to inconsistent play and plenty of challenging moments. The adversity we faced strengthened our resolve and helped to refine our process, giving way to an evolved team that was able to find flashes of success."

While a massive improvement, Lea noted that the Commodores aren't satisfied with 5-7.

"Vanderbilt football pursues success at the highest level, and we will not back down from our mission to build the best college football program in the nation," Lea said.

That sounds like a lofty goal for a program like Vanderbilt. But Lea feels that his alma mater has all the tools necessary to compete with the big boys in the league.

"You've got a top 15 school. We play in the SEC. We're in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt is one of one," Lea said. "You make no compromises. We're going to support you with the best facilities and the best resources. You're going to have coaches that are going to invest in you every day. We're not out there to swap pieces in and out every year. We're going to build and develop from the bottom up. To me, that becomes a pretty enticing proposition."