What MTSU's AD said about new football coach Derek Mason's 'bounce,' record at Vanderbilt
Middle Tennessee State Athletic Director Chris Massaro said criteria such as "over the top" personality, re-engaging with the fan base and sustaining strong academics were what he was seeking in a head football coach when the search began Nov. 27.
Derek Mason checked off all of those boxes in Massaro's opinion.
"I was looking for something different than me," said Massaro, referring to his more "quiet intensity" vs. Mason's more energetic one. "I felt like for the face of our program and football coach, we need that kind of personality. Derek was a perfect fit for that."
Mason was named only the fourth head coach over the past 44 years at MTSU on Wednesday, replacing Rick Stockstill, who was fired Nov. 27 following his 18th season, one in which the Blue Raiders went 4-8. Mason signed a five-year contract for $1 million per year base salary.
Massaro said Mason was on his short list of candidates and that he was the first offer the university made to a candidate.
"He's a good football coach and a great person," Massaro said. "Those are two primaries right there. If you have those, then you deserve to be on some sort of list. I say he's a good football coach ... he's a really great football coach. But to make sure you understand, the other piece is really important. How you treat your players, how you motivate them, what (president) Dr. (Sidney) McPhee said about (high) graduation (rate).
"Someone who is a great person will recognize those things. For me, I was looking for those kind of qualities of a person, as much as a coach. Those get overlooked sometimes."
Can Mason's energy help revive declining attendance numbers?
"I think he'll do a great job with that," Massaro said. "We mic'd him up and videoed last night's meeting with the team. He was fantastic. You just see a bounce, a charisma, or as the younger generation may say, a swag. He's got that. That's what you need, to engage our fans, to engage our community."
Mason, who was coach at Vanderbilt from 2014-20, is well respected for his energy, likeable personality and attention to academics. But MTSU also needed a coach who could get results on the field.
Massaro is convinced Mason will accomplish that as well. He's known as one of the best defensive coaches in the nation, having been a defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2021 and Oklahoma State in 2022 and also having coached defense in the NFL.
MORE: Derek Mason was focused on an NFL job. How MTSU football changed his mind and hired him as coach
The knock by some after Mason's name circulated for the job was his record at Vanderbilt (27-55 overall, 10-46 in the SEC). He went 4-0 against MTSU.
"It's a tough job within the SEC, so you start looking at that and he did have two bowl games, which is tough to do in a dog-eat-dog conference," Massaro said. "He's been at that level. That's really attractive, a guy that knows the head coaching position. But what really impressed me more was, what did you learn from that experience? If you get another chance, what would you do differently? We all have 20/20 hindsight. To me, I was impressed (with his answers).
"He sat in the chair in the hardest league in America and he had success. We've got a structure within our league that is different than what he inherited at Vanderbilt. Our structure is good. We've got as much as anybody in our league. We have location, resources, a facility coming. We need to win our league, and that's the first step. He can get us there."
McPhee was heavily involved in the interview process.
"The intensity ... and also the integrity," said McPhee, when asked what sold him on Mason. "Being a president for 23 years, I've had a lot of interaction across the board with a lot of folks. And I guess my background in psychology helps me read when you're getting the right stuff and when people are genuine. I picked that up right away."
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU football: AD on Derek Mason charisma, Vanderbilt record
