What Clark Lea said about new Vanderbilt football offensive coordinator Tim Beck

Clark Lea had a number of metrics he utilized when looking for a new offensive coordinator for Vanderbilt football, a search that landed on former New Mexico State offensive coordinator Tim Beck.

He wanted a coach with a history of a game-control offense, an effective red-zone attack, establishing the run, an explosive downfield passing game, a quarterback-friendly system with a quarterback run game and error-free football.

Tim Beck, the former offensive coordinator at New Mexico State, checked all those boxes, Lea said at a signing day news conference Wednesday. Beck's offense was second in Conference USA this season in yards per play and fourth in scoring.

Beck also has head coaching experience, having served as the head coach at D-II Pittsburg State in Kansas, where he won a national title. Lea said he valued that experience and described the role he envisioned for Beck as the "head coach of the offense."

"With Tim and the success that Jerry (Kill)'s had at New Mexico State, I think what you look at is a group that's learned how to do a whole lot with what they have and find success for that program to historic levels," Lea said. "That was really appealing to me, too.

"I want to bring people in this program that, they see it for what is good in it. Not for what has held us back in our past but the things that define this as a unique situation and an opportunity for us to build something special."

SIGNING CLASS Vanderbilt football recruiting class 2024: Meet Commodores' early signees

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Clark Lea on new Vanderbilt football offensive coordinator Tim Beck