It's hard to think that Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea even knew the turn it would take.

As Vanderbilt rode its 5-7 season into SEC Media Days last summer, it felt as if it was the story of the day. This was the year that'd it would get over the hump. Lea was awakened with the reality that it's never that easy, though.

Lea didn't get his storybook ending.

Instead he was reminded of a core belief with a 2-10 season.

"As I've said the past, success is seldom linear," Lea said at Monday's SEC Media Days. "Unfortunately, we dipped in our performance and fell well short of our goal of competing in post-season play.

"It's a core belief of mine that challenges present opportunities, specifically opportunities for growth."

If Lea didn't already have his challenge he does now.

The fourth-year head coach found out that he would have to change. His approach of continuity had flaws, so did three major areas.

As a result, Lea figured a way to change the way that Vanderbilt trained, its tactical systems and its roster.

"I approached every decision this off-season looking to answer two important questions: What am I meant to learn from this adversity? How can we use it as an inflection shun point and a catalyst to our future success? In this exercise we've changed in three fundamental ways."

That change came in the form of new strength coach Robert Steiner, the hiring of offensive coordinator Tim Beck and 53 new players.

It wasn't just players, though. It was the type of players and the way Vanderbilt acquired them.

The way it approached roster building was no longer good enough.

"We expedited the transformation of our roster," Lea said. "This is required that we fully embrace changes in the college football landscape and actively participate in both the transfer portal and NIL. Falling behind in those spaces erased much of the progress we made in our first two years."

Lea had two choices: build the way he'd been accustomed to and lose or evolve and have a chance. The fourth-year coach evolved.

"We've been able to adapt and adjust," Lea said. "Though we still have a ways to go, we're in a much better position to support our team now than we were a year ago."

That support has transformed itself into what Lea called an improved "spirit" that's allowed his program to "shed the mindset" of its past.

As Lea takes on a roster that includes just 14 players that he didn't recruit, he does so with a principle that will guide him and hasn't changed.

"We don't have to have lose our souls. We still have choices. People first; mission always," Lea said. "I believe wholeheartedly in the mission we're on and look forward to taking the team with team four in just a few weeks."

As Lea walked off the stage on Monday he did so without the declarations of last season or the flair. He did it quietly.

Lea's messaging changed, now his results have to.