Clark Lea continues his Vanderbilt staff rebuild as the program continues its transition into a crucial Year 4 for Lea.
The latest move is to help fortify the Commodores defensive staff.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Seth Payne is being tabbed to assist with Vanderbilt's defensive line.
Defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator the past five seasons at Football Championship Subdivision program Elon, Payne also spent the 2023 year as the program's recruiting coordinator.
A former all-conference selection at Moravian, Payne has worked at his alma mater as well as Elon, Villanova and VMI at the FCS level; his Football Bowls Subdivision experience included previous stints as a graduate assistant in Dave Clawson's Wake Forest program as well as a defensive analyst under Jimbo Fisher and Mike Elko at Texas A&M.
Vanderbilt is 9-27 since Lea, a well-regarded former top-level defensive coordinator, took over at his alma mater prior to the 2021 season.
The Commodores have not had a winning season since 2013, James Franklin's last year patrolling the sidelines on West End.