Derek Mason Reaction Thread
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It's whatever.
The past is not always an indicator of the future.
Hopefully Mason has learned a lot over the years and he's ready to go to work. I hope he gives us 100% and hires a top shelf staff. It is so hard to win in college football. It's even harder to maintain that winning. It's not going to be easy regardless of who got the job.
This hire is not what I would have personally chosen, but it is what it is. I think we have to at least give him a chance. I'm going to try and be positive and support it. Let's welcome him and let's see what the assistant pool looks like and recruiting.
I'll support the hire, but I still despise Massaro and McPhee and want to see them fired.
The past is not always an indicator of the future.
Hopefully Mason has learned a lot over the years and he's ready to go to work. I hope he gives us 100% and hires a top shelf staff. It is so hard to win in college football. It's even harder to maintain that winning. It's not going to be easy regardless of who got the job.
This hire is not what I would have personally chosen, but it is what it is. I think we have to at least give him a chance. I'm going to try and be positive and support it. Let's welcome him and let's see what the assistant pool looks like and recruiting.
I'll support the hire, but I still despise Massaro and McPhee and want to see them fired.
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I completely understand this may not be the hire many wanted, I'm underwhelmed if I'm being honest, but anyone bringing up his record at Vandy ask yourself this, is it easier to win games at MT or Vandy?
In the locker yes. On the practice field yes. Not in front of the cameras. Have to be able to be able to control that vigor. At least it won’t be the same coach speak we’ve heard for 20 years so there’s that.
I was being nice there. Trying to see the good in this.
Listen, it’s not a slam dunk hire in my eyes. Not by any means. Not when Tim Banks is being floated at $1.5M (fwiw didn’t like that either). But if you’re willing to spend a decent amount, at a place like MT at that, it needs to be a slam-effing-dunk. This feels anything but that.
That being said, he’s recruited the area before. Has relationships and pipelines that he can restore I imagine. He’s been in a TV studio the last year - maybe that’s helped his showmanship for the fan base. I’m not writing the man off before he starts, just feels like such a safe, blah hire, ESPECIALLY if the price tag is high. I’ll be real curious as to what the contract looks like. The staff around him will really dictate how things play out IMO.
Can someone explain to me why we hired this guy specifically for MT? What is it that he can do that is better than the other candidates. Can we get Libertys AD? Probably too late.
Nope, the former Titans guy blesses us with his incoherent takes on a Local Sports Talk Radio Station.
I have calmed down some over the initial shock. I will also support this but feel like we could’ve done better. I hope I am wrong. The devil is in the details. What does his contract look like and who is the OC going to be. That is the make or break for this hire.
Indeed.
Let's be hopeful. Let's be supportive. Let's see what the assistant pool looks like and how recruiting goes. Maybe he can take those past experiences and use them to his advantage and have some success at a CUSA school.
Anyone know what our OOC schedules look like these next 2-3 years ?
2024 Middle Tennessee Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com
View the 2024 Middle Tennessee Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Blue Raiders schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.
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That's my thought. Not what I expected but we don't know how it would go. I mean could Alabama have predicted what Saban has done? You never know. Feeling, gut, guess is all it is. Let's give him a chance.
'24
TN Tech (great season home opener)
@ Ole Miss
Duke
@ Memphis
'25
Austin Peay (again, Lee & Co killing it)
@ Wisconsin
@ Nevada
Marshall
He has 7 years of HC experience and NEVER had a winning season. This is absolutely shocking to think that was the best we could get. Quite pathetic actually.
I‘m still concerned with how engaged or focused he is. Bombed out at Vandy, one and done at Auburn, one and done at Ok State and then sits out a year. Was not a candidate any other place that we know of, then we hire him. Hmmmm
The question as a fan is - Are you more excited with Mason going into next year, or with Stockstill? This is what we all wanted - a reset.
I‘m still concerned with how engaged or focused he is. Bombed out at Vandy, one and done at Auburn, one and done at Ok State and then sits out a year. Was not a candidate any other place that we know of, then we hire him. Hmmmm
The question as a fan is - Are you more excited with Mason going into next year, or with Stockstill? This is what we all wanted - a reset.
I am still more excited with Mason. Stock was a known. Mason is an unknown at a place like this. Vanderbilt is Vanderbilt. Hard to judge a guy there even though his OOC record is also not too encouraging.
Mason. Why? Unknown. Hope. We knew exactly what we would get with Stock and that was the problem. Losing record or not (and I don't think Vandy is a good gauge), it's a change. And I know I wanted change. We literally have np idea how it will go. Why not at least see? We don't even know a staff yet. If it crashes and burns, ok. At least it was a change. I only hope the contract is set up so if it doesn't work then we can hit the reset button again and not be stuck. It wasn't what I expected but it's still setting different.
My bad, It was covid. HE DIDN'T WIN A FREAKING GAME IN HIS LAST SEASON.
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Was anyone…ANYONE other than us considering him as their coach?? If not that sure says a hell of a lot. Think we crapped on our mess kit on this one but not surprised.
MandM thought a .500 coach set expectations too high, so they fired him and went for a .400 coach.
If so, it never hit football scoop or any rumor mills. We were the first actual job he publicly interviewed for since quitting at Ok St
We said "mASSaro, no way you could make a worse hire than who you fired." mASSaro said "Hold my beer."
He may have interviewed this year for a job and I just can’t find it in Google.
Derek Mason dances after 38-13 win over Tennessee | This Derek Mason postgame interview was an instant classic 😂 | By SEC NetworkFacebook
This Derek Mason postgame interview was an instant classic 😂
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....and lost the bowl game to Baylor. ok, I'm done ranting. I promise. Hard to be positive right now but I gotta let it go. No choice. Sorry for the raving and ranting. Very disapointed but I sure hope I'm wrong. We'll see how he handles, Liberty, Rich Rod at Jax, Jerry Kill, WKU and now a motivated Scotty Walden at UTEP. We are gonna find out what type of coach he is for us in about 10 months.Derek Mason dances after 38-13 win over Tennessee | This Derek Mason postgame interview was an instant classic 😂 | By SEC NetworkFacebook
This Derek Mason postgame interview was an instant classic 😂
Felt like we've been spinning wheels in the mud for nearly two decades, Middle never misses an opporutunity to miss an opportunity. No telling how many great coaches were missed in Massaro's little process all to wind up with someone who was on nobody's radar. I doubt any other President and AD saw the name Mason, and said wow we can win some Championships with that man.
"I think there's a thread out there that thought we were okay with those results. We want to win championships," Massaro said
No F'n credibility. None.
"it would be great if our football coach could possess that so we could go and reconnect with our community and our fan base. I see this as an opportunity to build all those bridges."
LOL. Better put a big discount on tickets.
This hire does nothing to give me faith that fans will see anything different from this university in athletics in my lifetime or as long as McPhee, and Massaro are still in charge and we have a rubber stamp Board of Trustees.
I hope Mason surprises. If he goes .500 or gets to 7 wins and bowl, that won't be a surprise. It should be the absolute minimum expected when the AD states "We want to win championships"
MT needs to raise its definition of success. If Mason doesn't bring MT a championship in football in 3 to 5 years, what did firing stockstill gain us.
I said previously I would not renew season tickets if Stockstill remained another season as coach, so I plan to renew, but forgive me if I have no faith that any significant difference in wins and losses happens.
I still think every team in CUSA will possess a Championship team in football before this clown run university sees one. I suspect I won't live to see it and it certainly won't happen while McPhee and Massaro are in charge.
I said immediately after stock was fired that he wasn’t the main problem. Sure, it was time for him to go, but the problem goes back to McPhee and Steve smith and Massaro.
We will never make the right moves as long as they are in charge. Derek Mason was not the correct hire but we have to hold our nose and hope it works out.
Pathetic.
We will never make the right moves as long as they are in charge. Derek Mason was not the correct hire but we have to hold our nose and hope it works out.
Pathetic.
All you gripers, we are freakin' MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY. We're not gonna get a sexy hire. Lots of talk that this would be a great opportunity for an up and coming coach.
REALLY?
Subpar facilities, a craptastic administration, an empty stadium, a program on life support, and a student body without a pulse.
Sounds like a really tough sell to me. Maybe Walden was offered the job and said, "heck no!"
Take off your blue-tinted sunglasses and just be glad they didn't hire a high school coach.
REALLY?
Subpar facilities, a craptastic administration, an empty stadium, a program on life support, and a student body without a pulse.
Sounds like a really tough sell to me. Maybe Walden was offered the job and said, "heck no!"
Take off your blue-tinted sunglasses and just be glad they didn't hire a high school coach.
After some time to digest it I’m not overly upset. It’s not a sexy hire that’s for sure but it’s not terrible. Vandy is a tough job and he did a decent job compared to their history. They’ve been to 9 bowl games ever, he went to 2. In the last 20 years there they’ve only had 3 seasons better than his two 6-7 seasons. That’s a tough place to win so I’m not basing it off of that. I really only care about the contract and who he hires. We need to be able to abandon ship in 4 years if this doesn’t pan out. Go Blue!
You know we are building the student athlete center/football ops building right now. We will have it in the next 1.5 years and it will be the best one in the conference. We are moving forward. Hopefully Mason helps us get there with the right players and staff.
I don't know. Maybe because he's from Texas? Or maybe he just like the desert?
It really doesn't matter what happened with Waldren. The truth is, MT may not be as attractive to potential hires as many of us think.
I hope we can become that, but we have to be realistic about where Stock, Chris, and McPhee have put us.
Yes, I know. But it's not here right now. And honestly, let's say that facility is already built. Does it really change how attractive this job is?
Realistically, I just don't think we are as attractive as we think. Especially not to the level of coaches we fans would've liked them to hire.
Yes it changes how attractive the job is. Do you just think we should settle for mediocrity because we are Middle Tennessee State?
Vandy sucks. It’s a dead end job.
I’m having to completely ignore the record because it was … well. Vandy.
I’m having to completely ignore the record because it was … well. Vandy.
Personlly not that big a deal to me, but based on the post I think that would be a "yes".
I’ve never heard of Scotty Walden until about 3 weeks ago when he somehow morphed into the reincarnation of Vince Lombardi.
I dunno if he is a good coach. I’m not sure an FCS coach would get casuals excited.
Either way, I think we did well with Mason. I think we’ll win more games in the next 4 years than UTEP.
