Recruiting is going to play a major part in helping new head coach Clark Lea get the Vanderbilt program turned around, and that has been reflected in how he has built his staff, especially the off-field positions.
Lea made some waves shortly after being hired by hiring one of the biggest names in the recruiting industry in Barton Simmons. The former 247 director of scouting was hired by Lea to serve in a general manager-type role for the staff. The role will allow him to aid Lea in building the roster and being an integral piece of the evaluation, scouting, and roster management process.
Also with key recruiting titles on the Vanderbilt staff are Nik Valdiserri (recruiting coordinator), and Gerald "Smoke" Dixon (director of scouting). Valdisseri is the former director of player personnel at Bowling Green and Dixon worked in personnel for the DC Defenders of the XFL previously.
Now, sources tell FootballScoop that Lea is adding another integral recruiting piece to the staff in Christina DeRuyter.
DeRuyter, the daughter of college coaching veteran Tim DeRuyter, just recently bid farewell to Texas Tech, where she served as the director of on-campus recruiting. DeRuyter's title in Lubbock also included assistant director of football operations as well.
Sources share that Christina left that role to accept a position on the Vanderbilt staff.
The strong hires that Lea, who spent the last several seasons as the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, has made to be involved in recruiting speak volumes about how the first-time head coach plans to build the Vanderbilt program.
Now, Christina DeRuyter is set to become the latest addition to help Lea execute that vision.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.