Derek Mason Reaction Thread

[MTTim]

I tend to think he probably wanted to stay in the mid state and as such was likely back-channeling his interest in this job before it officially became available

This. He has not been looking for a job since leaving OSU. I believe if he wanted a DC job he would have been hired at one of the P5's. I do think some teams at our level may have hired him as HC. Just my opinion.
With the right coordinators he will be successful here.
We have nowhere to go but up.

 

[MTTim]

I know we'll never get it, but I would love to know the timeline of events in this process, who contacted whom first, and when.

Mason is now the coach, and I hope he proves me and other serious doubters wrong. I heard the word "Championship" from all three of the 3M boys. Credibility is strained there. Hopeful, but not taken by the pep rally style intro that comes with a new coach.

Mason has a lot to overcome, and I wish him well. I wish he did not have the worse President/AD combo in FBS to look to for support. If Mason makes it to the end of '28 he will have new bosses here, that is almost a certainty.

He may not have won at Vandy but in comparison to our former coach, I am sure he would not have won near as much as Mason. Mason is an upgrade, how much of one remains to be seen.

I want Middle Tennessee to win an outright conference championship, something not seen here ever in the FBS era and three decades for the program's history. I would like to see it while I am around to appreciate it.

Go Blue!

I'm with you Space. We all wanted Stock gone and knew this so called leadership would mess up the next hire. I think we were all so giddy about a new coach and did not expect this hire.
I'm on-board and hope others get behind our new coach. With M&M as his boss he will need all the help he can get.

 

[Hop45]

I'm excited. Was shocked when his name came out of the blue the other day. Had not even considered him despite listening to him commentate the Vandy/TN game (I think). I truly think he will do good things here. I'm more excited for MT football today than I have been in the last 4-5 years. I will be re-joining BRAA again soon and also once again become a season ticket holder. Not splurging for my old blue chairbacks just yet, but maybe in a year or 2. I actually have enjoyed buying a walk up ticket and just wandering around the stadium instead of locking into the ol blue chair backs.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Does anyone know what bowl game(s) Coach is calling this bowl season? Would really like to hear what he has to say.

If I heard CM right, it's the New Orleans Bowl with Jax and Famous Toastery (this year's version of mainland Bahamas) with WKU. I watched the NMSU/Auburn game and didn't realize it was him then. Never would've guessed then he'd be ours now!

 

[MTFAN61]

He's got a good shot. Outside of Liberty the good thing for Mason is CUSA is probably the weakest fbs conference in America. Concerning schedules. Someone remind me about the Power 5 schedule comparison for what Stock had to go up against for the last 5 years versus what Mason has lined up. I wouldn't be surprised our new coach may have it a little less daunting.

 

[NashvilleHawk]

Why get rid of Rick Stockstill to hire someone that no one is targeting?

Oklahoma State's defense was brutal under Derek Mason, after Jim Knowles left Okie State for Ohio State.
No one wanted Derek Mason on his staff.
And I don't believe the Derek Mason wanted to take some time off spin.

Rick Stockstill didn't have a good pulse on high school talent in the area that is leaving the area and state for other universities.
And, yes, I understand that in this day of NIL, it's much harder to keep local talent, local.

Hiring Derek Mason is a buzzkill hire in a program that needs buzz.
Dwight Dasher ain't walking through that locker room door with 15 to 20,000 Blue Raiders fans in the crowd.
At least, hire an up and coming coordinator.

FIU hired Ron Turner, who coached Illinois from 1997-2004 to a 20-44 overall record.
His record at FIU from 2013-16 was 10-30.

Derek Mason coached Vanderbilt from 2014-2020 to a 27-55 overall record.
We just hired someone with a thinner resume than Ron Turner.
Oof!

 

[MidTennMtneer]

 

[lightningsig]

Quote: "Prior to his 7-year stint at Vanderbilt, Mason served as the defensive coordinator on BCS-bound Stanford teams. He returned to a defensive coordinator role after his firing from Vanderbilt, leading Auburn to the 27th ranked scoring defense in 2021 and Oklahoma State to the 9th ranked scoring defense in 2022."

What is this source? I've seen a lot of people saying he had less than stellar showings at those schools, but this says otherwise.

 

[ewglenn]

Duce Hewitt, get to know the name. I believe he is going to be the first local target for recruiting.

 

[Tyler Pellom]

Why get rid of Rick Stockstill to hire someone that no one is targeting?

Oklahoma State's defense was brutal under Derek Mason, after Jim Knowles left Okie State for Ohio State.
No one wanted Derek Mason on his staff.
And I don't believe the Derek Mason wanted to take some time off spin.

Rick Stockstill didn't have a good pulse on high school talent in the area that is leaving the area and state for other universities.
And, yes, I understand that in this day of NIL, it's much harder to keep local talent, local.

Hiring Derek Mason is a buzzkill hire in a program that needs buzz.
Dwight Dasher ain't walking through that locker room door with 15 to 20,000 Blue Raiders fans in the crowd.
At least, hire an up and coming coordinator.

FIU hired Ron Turner, who coached Illinois from 1997-2004 to a 20-44 overall record.
His record at FIU from 2013-16 was 10-30.

Derek Mason coached Vanderbilt from 2014-2020 to a 27-55 overall record.
We just hired someone with a thinner resume than Ron Turner.
Oof!

I’m not going to disagree with your conclusion, I am not sure this is a “sure thing.” But the idea that no one wanted him is a misnomer. He is a very, very well respected defensive mind.

That does not guarantee success as MTSU’s HC. But he would have found a role somewhere had he wanted it.

 

[RaiderDoug]

There’s a lot of shouting “no one wanted him” and “he’s got a losing record”, etc.

Who was the alternative proven at the FBS level, winning record, HC who was also in demand at most of the other FBS programs who also wanted this job?

We can’t fall into the trap of focusing only the negatives in favor of some utopian candidate that doesn’t exist.

You don’t like Mason, that’s fine. But there was no other candidate that checks all the boxes everyone wanted.

At the end of the day between Mason, Walden, Mack, Banks, Walden, Jones Jr - I do honestly think we probably did the best out of that group.

 

[RaiderDoug]

Why don’t you put much stock in FCS? It is football. Lance Leipold made the jump from DIII to Buffalo and now has Kansas trending up. Really good coaches come from lower levels all the time. I put stock in winning. Top tier FCS is basically the same as us. In back-to-back years we lost to 3 first year FBS teams. JMU is going with a successful FCS coach. I trust their admin to make the right decision over ours. In fact he has never coached at the FBS level in any capacity.

There’s always exceptions, but in general, there’s some stratification in college football.

FBS is a whole nuther level than FCS - more players, tougher comp, more responsibilities, etc, etc, etc.

Not all coaches who can win at one level can win at a higher level. Kind of like going from G5 to P5.

 

[blueraiderJT]

What is this source? I've seen a lot of people saying he had less than stellar showings at those schools, but this says otherwise.

OK st. 2022 - 374.0 YPG
MT 2022 - 364 YPG

Auburn 2021 - 442 YPG
MT - 413.5 YPG

I bellyached all last night. I'm done with that.

The important thing to me now is who he hires. If we get an entirely new OL/TE and DL/LB staff, I'm good. If he kept Brent, I'm good with that. I think he's bringing his own OC and DC to the party. We will see.

 

[Hop45]

Duce Hewitt, get to know the name. I believe he is going to be the first local target for recruiting.

I believe he is currently committed to Liberty. Good player.

 

[AustinLewis]

There’s a lot of shouting “no one wanted him” and “he’s got a losing record”, etc.

Who was the alternative proven at the FBS level, winning record, HC who was also in demand at most of the other FBS programs who also wanted this job?

We can’t fall into the trap of focusing only the negatives in favor of some utopian candidate that doesn’t exist.

You don’t like Mason, that’s fine. But there was no other candidate that checks all the boxes everyone wanted.

At the end of the day between Mason, Walden, Mack, Banks, Walden, Jones Jr - I do honestly think we probably did the best out of that group.

You bring up some good points about not having a proven, winning coach at the FBS level available.

There’s no Rich Rod or Hugh Freeze in need of a rehab assignment. Manny apparently said “thanks, but no thanks.” Dan Mullen is a great coach, but probably doesn’t fit what MT needs.

I have some concerns (will be addressed in article coming soon), but there are some positives. For me, I want to see WHO he brings in to run the offense and what they’ll run.

 

[sWiley]

Bobby Petrino was available. I bet we could have got him if he really full court blitzed him. We fired Stock before Arkansas re-hired him. There was a window to make a push.

 

[RaiderDoug]

Bobby Petrino was available. I bet we could have got him if he really full court blitzed him. We fired Stock before Arkansas re-hired him. There was a window to make a push.

Ran Louisville into the ground and got fired, left Missouri State after a losing season, and couldn’t coordinate all those 5-stars at Texas A&M, and is a world class slimeball.

Also, there’s no indication at all that Petrino would have been taken this job at any point for any reason.

 

[NashvilleHawk]

10-20 years ago, schools like MTSU, could hire an up and coming OC and HC, at a comparable wage, with a job title of head coach.
Today, OCs and DCs from Power 5 conferences are making close to $1 million/year.
MTSU isn't paying that much for a head coach.
The economics just aren't there for that.

Stockstill didn't have great connections with area high schools.
On 247sports, for the Class of 2024, they list the top 62 recruits that play high school in Tennessee.
Of these 62, MTSU has 0 commits.
Yes, most of them are at Power 5 schools, with potential NIL deals.
But, I see Charlotte, UConn, East Carolina, Toledo, Miami (OH), USF.

Now, within Conference USA, for the Class of 2024,
Western Kentucky and Liberty have 13 3-star recruits.
MTSU has 1.
MTSU has to be, at least, in-line with WKU, at all times.
Liberty is kind of apples and oranges as their head coach, Jamie Caldwell, is paid $4 milion/year.

Summary:
Build relations with those regional and in-state high schools.
Be competitive in recruiting in C-USA, especially with WKU.

 

[sWiley]

Ran Louisville into the ground and got fired, left Missouri State after a losing season, and couldn’t coordinate all those 5-stars at Texas A&M, and is a world class slimeball.

Also, there’s no indication at all that Petrino would have been taken this job at any point for any reason.

If you take away the FBS games (which really are not fair for an FCS), he has a winning record every year there, including a good season for 2021.

He is still regarded as one of the best and most elite QB developers in the country. TAMU was just devoid of QB talent and he came in too late to fix it as the boosters had already grown tired of Jimbo. It is very telling that Arkansas quickly rehired him as their OC. They recognize.

His accomplishments, pedigree, and football knowledge are superior to any of the candidates floated as possibilities for MT. It's possible he would not have wanted to come here, but you'll never know if you don't ask or make an offer....which we clearly didn't.

 

[MT01]

If I heard CM right, it's the New Orleans Bowl with Jax and Famous Toastery (this year's version of mainland Bahamas) with WKU. I watched the NMSU/Auburn game and didn't realize it was him then. Never would've guessed then he'd be ours now!

Why would he still be calling the bowl game? He has a new job. Is this job not his priority?

 

[Brew_Raider]

Why would he still be calling the bowl game? He has a new job. Is this job not his priority?

If he calls games for ESPN instead of recruiting or working for us, something is horribly wrong.

 

[DisgruntledAlum]

"When the opportunity (with MTSU) came, I thought other opportunities would come this year. ... I didn't think MTSU would be the only opportunity," said Mason

5-year contract @ $1 mil per year base
$1.7 mil per season pool for staff

https://www.dnj.com/story/sports/co...mer-vanderbilt-coach-derek-mason/71819197007/

 

[ewglenn]

Why would he still be calling the bowl game? He has a new job. Is this job not his priority?

Very common in college football. I know you guys haven’t seen a change in 18 years but this isn’t abnormal.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Why would he still be calling the bowl game? He has a new job. Is this job not his priority?

If he calls games for ESPN instead of recruiting or working for us, something is horribly wrong.

I see that view and agree. Maybe he was and isn't now? Idk. CM said he had watched tape in prep on Jax and WKU. I'll go back and listen to exactly what he said.

By the same token those are our conference mates so if he does do it, ok. It's like an extra opportunity to spy a bit.

We should find out for sure this week. ESPN usually releases their bowl broadcast crew list around now.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Takeaways from Derek Mason’s first media availability as MTSU Football’s Head Coach - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It was hard not to feel confident in yourself after spending time at the student union on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University on

goblueraiders.com

 

[MT01]

Very common in college football. I know you guys haven’t seen a change in 18 years but this isn’t abnormal.

Uh, yes it is.

There are some instances where a coach might (emphasis on might) coach the bowl game before leaving - but not a guy sitting in a TV booth. That's ridiculous.

I mean where's Curt Cignetti tonight. After doing what he has for JMU he didn't even hesitate.

 

[Tyler Pellom]

Uh, yes it is.

There are some instances where a coach might (emphasis on might) coach the bowl game before leaving - but not a guy sitting in a TV booth. That's ridiculous.

I mean where's Curt Cignetti tonight. After doing what he has for JMU he didn't even hesitate.

Yeah, it’s pretty weird. Although I guess there’s not much of a time commitment assuming it’s just travel the day before the game.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

I see that view and agree. Maybe he was and isn't now? Idk. CM said he had watched tape in prep on Jax and WKU. I'll go back and listen to exactly what he said.

By the same token those are our conference mates so if he does do it, ok. It's like an extra opportunity to spy a bit.

We should find out for sure this week. ESPN usually releases their bowl broadcast crew list around now.

CM

"The other thing that I liked about him is he did broadcasts for the CUSA games. So he knows our league. He watched NMSU, had the NMSU/Auburn game. So he saw them at the best ya know. So he's gonna do a couple bowl games for ESPN. So we'll get that kind of publicity out of there. So he had Jax and WKU as well, so our primary competitors within our conference, he did two days of film study on each one. It's not like he's starting from scratch. That was really attractive to me."

From that hard to tell if those are the games he will call or not. WKU didn't play an SEC team and Rod Gilmore did the Jax/S Carolina game.

If it is our conference mates he's calling, I'd say that's a pretty sweet gig.

 

[mtfblue]

If he calls games for ESPN instead of recruiting or working for us, something is horribly wrong.

Bowl games are during the dead period

 

[SpaceRaider]

Takeaways from Derek Mason’s first media availability as MTSU Football’s Head Coach - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It was hard not to feel confident in yourself after spending time at the student union on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University on

goblueraiders.com

 

[magaraider]

Ate at Whataburger to see what all the hype was about. After my first bite I said "What-a-ripoff". This is kinda my feeling about the Mason hire BUT I do think he could turn out to be a good coach at MT and I am a little bit excited to see what he's able to do.

 

[SpaceRaider]

I do think he could turn out to be a good coach at MT and I am a little bit excited to see what he's able to do.

ditto

 

[Hop45]

Ate at Whataburger to see what all the hype was about. After my first bite I said "What-a-ripoff". This is kinda my feeling about the Mason hire BUT I do think he could turn out to be a good coach at MT and I am a little bit excited to see what he's able to do.

Grew up on Whataburger at 2AM after a night out. Nothing better. The more people who don't like it means shorter lines for me!😊

 

[sWiley]

Grew up on Whataburger at 2AM after a night out. Nothing better. The more people who don't like it means shorter lines for me!😊

It can be location based. Some locations are better (and sometimes much better) than others.

I also grew up on it. One of the things I miss about living in Texas, though I heard Tennessee got some. (I'm in Ohio)

 

[SpaceRaider]

Derek Mason to be announced as new MTSU head coach - NEW VandyMania.com

vandymania.com

 

[Hop45]

It can be location based. Some locations are better (and sometimes much better) than others.

I also grew up on it. One of the things I miss about living in Texas, though I heard Tennessee got some. (I'm in Ohio)

Just broke ground on our second one here in the Boro.

 

[Sommy]

Sad day for whattaburger. It was better when it was a private company and relegated to just Texas and a few other places.

I’m Pulling for Mason, but his speeches have been so generic and lacking substance I just cant jump on the bandwagon yet.

 

[magaraider]

Sad day for whattaburger. It was better when it was a private company and relegated to just Texas and a few other places.

Kinda like college football. Was much better before BigMoney ruined it. I've been trying to think of examples where BigMoney made things better but I can't. Seems the more money and more people get involved with something, the more ruined it becomes. Take that city in East Tennessee I now call Gatlinhell for example. I will never again visit Gatlinhell or the Smokies. I'm liking FCS more and more each year.

 

[crposton]

Mason may succeed or may not, but I am glad I don’t have to deal with this for the next 3-5 years.

 

[Noogaraider1]

"Oh no our new coach is getting a ton of National air time to call a game where tons of potential recruits and families will hear and see him. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO"