Notre Dame Football: Clark Lea says “There’s a strategic moving of parts and pieces”

Another Clark Lea press conference is in the books, and I am still blown away by how cerebral he is in his coaching of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense. The way he speaks about each position group and each player is as complex as as a mathematical formula — yet he lays it out in such an understandable manner.

I really needed Lea to teach me Advanced Math in high school.

Perhaps the biggest story this spring is the depth chart across all three linebacker positions — or lack there of. Notre Dame has moved a lot of guys around, and Lea is still searching for the right fit across the board.

“We’re in a very different place (since the start of the spring) and that’s part of the evolution of the unit. There’s a strategic moving of parts and pieces to figure out the best combination. If we’re doing the right thing coaching-wise and coaching it conceptually, the ability to move people around becomes an advantage. To a man, we are better equipped, better skilled from where we started.”

“I like where we are. I love the multiplicity. I love the fact we have body types and skillsets that can fit in various spots. Am I pleased with our level of execution? No, we have a long way to go. The potential is there and we have to keep working at it.”

Lea also talked about:

• Houston Griffith at the boundary corner
• Asmar Bilal
• Jacob Lacey’s progress
• Shayne Simon’s moves
• His excitement about Jack Kiser’s return in the fall
• How he treats Jack Lamb

And there’s plenty more. You can watch the entire Clark Lea press conference in the player below. (Seriously... just close your eyes and imagine Lea teaching you about optics and how it affects our everyday life).