Vanderbilt football hiring New Mexico State's Melvin Rice to Clark Lea's staff | Report

Vanderbilt football is hiring Melvin Rice, the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at New Mexico State, to its staff, according to a report from Matt Zenitz at 247Sports.

The report did not specify which role Rice was taking. Nick Howell, who was previously the defensive coordinator and safeties coach, was demoted from defensive coordinator to a position coach, then later left Vanderbilt to become the defensive coordinator at New Mexico under Bronco Mendenhall. After firing Howell, coach Clark Lea opted instead to call the defense himself.

Rice previously worked at Northern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Temple.

The Commodores already hired a coach from the Aggies in offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who replaced fired offensive coordinator Joey Lynch. Former defensive backs coach Dan Jackson was also reassigned to an off-field role and replaced by Jamaal Richardson.

Bringing Rice on board gives Lea another staffer with coordinator experience as he transitions into calling defensive plays himself as a head coach.

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

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: Vanderbilt football hiring NMSU's Melvin Rice to staff