Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Takeaways from Derek Mason’s first media availability as MTSU Football’s Head Coach
12/6/2023 6:02:00 PM | Football
It was a whirlwind of a day after Mason was announced as the program’s 15th leader.
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 Wednesday morning.
Not only would the good vibes that will always come from the announcement of a new football coach rub off on you, but seeing the confidence that new football coach, Derek Mason, had in himself and his vision, as well as the confidence his two new bosses had in their pick to helm the Blue Raider program, only made you smile a bit brighter.
"You see a bounce, you see a charisma," Director of Athletics Chris Massaro said. "He's got that. That's what we need to engage our fans, to engage our community."
The University President, Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, who was still buzzing shortly after walking off the stage where he introduced Mason as the University's 15th head football coach just minutes earlier, was even more enthused: "If you didn't get excited about his remarks this morning," McPhee said. "You need to figure out your pulse."
Optimism was contagious on Wednesday after the announcement of Mason, the former Vanderbilt Head Coach that has long been considered one of the most well-respected defensive minds in college football since scheming up the Stanford defenses of the early 2010s under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, and continued to be held in high regard in stops at Auburn and Oklahoma State following his tenure with the Commodores. Mason said that after taking a year off from coaching in 2023, the MTSU job was immediately appealing to him because of his local ties.
"There was just something about this job, home," Mason said. "I've been here in Tennessee now 10 years. I may seem new to some people, but 10 years in Tennessee, that's like 25 dog years for other people in other places."
Massaro said that Mason's contract, whose fine details are still being finalized, is a five-year deal with a $1 Million annual value. The new head coach will have an assistant salary pool of approximately $1.7 million to work with the build his staff.
"We all have a tendency to slide back to normal," Massaro said. "We can't do that and reach our goals. I need a coach that will push me, push our administration, push everybody in the building and remind us of that."
After McPhee, Massaro and Mason chatted with the assembled mid-state media following the announcement, here's three quick takeaways on how the new hire will look to shape the future of Blue Raider Football.
"The Bones are Good"
It was evident from the start of his remarks the respect Mason had not only for the school and athletic department he was joining, but also his predecessor at head coach. Mason called the Blue Raider football program "the house that Stock built," and talked about how building on that legacy will be a big part of what he's tasked to do.
"You have to have good bones," Mason said. "This place has really good bones. It has history. Now, it's the reset. It's the idea of 'What little pieces do we need? What does it take? Let's do it together.'"
Work has been done by generations of Blue Raiders to set up the moment the football program is at, with a new Student-Athlete Performance Center under construction near Floyd Stadium and the increased investment in academic, nutrition, strength and recovery programs that come with it. Couple that with a team that had a strong culture inside the locker room, continuing to play hard with every snap even well after missing a bowl in 2023, there's a strong foundation for Mason to build from.
Additionally, unlike Mason's time at Vanderbilt, where he was routinely left with the least amount of resources among his conference peers, MTSU projects to be one of the most resource rich programs in Conference USA. It's the type of place, Massaro, Mason and McPhee said, that can win championships.
"Our structure is good, we've got as much stuff as anybody in our league," Massaro said. "We've got location, we've got resources. We've got a facility coming. Those sort of comparisons are night and day within the league."
"From the 'Ville to the 'Boro"
But how will Mason build from that foundation? It was clear his mid-state connections formed from his time in Nashville quickly gave him a "home court" advantage in the search. Massaro said Mason was the most local candidate that was in the pool for the job and feedback from local high school coaches, including Oakland High School Kevin Creasy, that reaffirmed that homefield advantage.
"We don't have to draw maps for him on how to get to Brentwood High School or how to navigate our state," Massaro said, pointing out Mason's familiarity with the Memphis area as well.
"From the 'Ville to the 'Boro" (or it's close counterpart, "From the 'Boro to the 'Ville") were common refrains from Mason during the day's media availability. But it wasn't just a recruiting mantra, as important as retaining local talent will be for Mason's success. It was also an invitation to the thousands of MTSU's alums in the mid-state to come back home and see what Mason is building.
"It's about retention, it's about making sure that we develop the guys in this area so our fan base can come watch our own play at a high level," Mason said. "From the 'Boro to the 'Ville, we're strong. The thing that we need to do, we need to make sure that our MTSU (alumni) start to come and watch practices. Start to feel, hey look, it's open. Come see what we do, come watch how we practice, what we're developing here."
"Physical, tough and intelligent"
As for how the Derek Mason Blue Raiders will look on the field? The head coach was efficient in his response.
"Physical, tough and intelligent."
It's not hard to expect that Mason will have a hand in the defensive scheme when things get started, likely a linebacker heavy look in the box that allows for versatility in both run and pass defense. Mason's schemes were often noted for using speed to shut down the spread offenses that have proliferated the offensive side of the ball and was noted for being particularly effective against the spread option run. Offensively, Mason said that he'd place an early focus on the trenches.
"When you watch this league, this league is physical," Mason said. "And if you want to win it, you can as beautiful or as sexy with the offense as you want to be. But when it comes down to it, you better be able to win the middle eight. You better be able to find yourself converting on third and short. And you better be able to win in the redzone. And in order to do that, you have to find a way to be physical."
Not only would the good vibes that will always come from the announcement of a new football coach rub off on you, but seeing the confidence that new football coach, Derek Mason, had in himself and his vision, as well as the confidence his two new bosses had in their pick to helm the Blue Raider program, only made you smile a bit brighter.
"You see a bounce, you see a charisma," Director of Athletics Chris Massaro said. "He's got that. That's what we need to engage our fans, to engage our community."
The University President, Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, who was still buzzing shortly after walking off the stage where he introduced Mason as the University's 15th head football coach just minutes earlier, was even more enthused: "If you didn't get excited about his remarks this morning," McPhee said. "You need to figure out your pulse."
Optimism was contagious on Wednesday after the announcement of Mason, the former Vanderbilt Head Coach that has long been considered one of the most well-respected defensive minds in college football since scheming up the Stanford defenses of the early 2010s under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, and continued to be held in high regard in stops at Auburn and Oklahoma State following his tenure with the Commodores. Mason said that after taking a year off from coaching in 2023, the MTSU job was immediately appealing to him because of his local ties.
"There was just something about this job, home," Mason said. "I've been here in Tennessee now 10 years. I may seem new to some people, but 10 years in Tennessee, that's like 25 dog years for other people in other places."
Massaro said that Mason's contract, whose fine details are still being finalized, is a five-year deal with a $1 Million annual value. The new head coach will have an assistant salary pool of approximately $1.7 million to work with the build his staff.
"We all have a tendency to slide back to normal," Massaro said. "We can't do that and reach our goals. I need a coach that will push me, push our administration, push everybody in the building and remind us of that."
After McPhee, Massaro and Mason chatted with the assembled mid-state media following the announcement, here's three quick takeaways on how the new hire will look to shape the future of Blue Raider Football.
"The Bones are Good"
It was evident from the start of his remarks the respect Mason had not only for the school and athletic department he was joining, but also his predecessor at head coach. Mason called the Blue Raider football program "the house that Stock built," and talked about how building on that legacy will be a big part of what he's tasked to do.
"You have to have good bones," Mason said. "This place has really good bones. It has history. Now, it's the reset. It's the idea of 'What little pieces do we need? What does it take? Let's do it together.'"
Work has been done by generations of Blue Raiders to set up the moment the football program is at, with a new Student-Athlete Performance Center under construction near Floyd Stadium and the increased investment in academic, nutrition, strength and recovery programs that come with it. Couple that with a team that had a strong culture inside the locker room, continuing to play hard with every snap even well after missing a bowl in 2023, there's a strong foundation for Mason to build from.
Additionally, unlike Mason's time at Vanderbilt, where he was routinely left with the least amount of resources among his conference peers, MTSU projects to be one of the most resource rich programs in Conference USA. It's the type of place, Massaro, Mason and McPhee said, that can win championships.
"Our structure is good, we've got as much stuff as anybody in our league," Massaro said. "We've got location, we've got resources. We've got a facility coming. Those sort of comparisons are night and day within the league."
"From the 'Ville to the 'Boro"
But how will Mason build from that foundation? It was clear his mid-state connections formed from his time in Nashville quickly gave him a "home court" advantage in the search. Massaro said Mason was the most local candidate that was in the pool for the job and feedback from local high school coaches, including Oakland High School Kevin Creasy, that reaffirmed that homefield advantage.
"We don't have to draw maps for him on how to get to Brentwood High School or how to navigate our state," Massaro said, pointing out Mason's familiarity with the Memphis area as well.
"From the 'Ville to the 'Boro" (or it's close counterpart, "From the 'Boro to the 'Ville") were common refrains from Mason during the day's media availability. But it wasn't just a recruiting mantra, as important as retaining local talent will be for Mason's success. It was also an invitation to the thousands of MTSU's alums in the mid-state to come back home and see what Mason is building.
"It's about retention, it's about making sure that we develop the guys in this area so our fan base can come watch our own play at a high level," Mason said. "From the 'Boro to the 'Ville, we're strong. The thing that we need to do, we need to make sure that our MTSU (alumni) start to come and watch practices. Start to feel, hey look, it's open. Come see what we do, come watch how we practice, what we're developing here."
"Physical, tough and intelligent"
As for how the Derek Mason Blue Raiders will look on the field? The head coach was efficient in his response.
"Physical, tough and intelligent."
It's not hard to expect that Mason will have a hand in the defensive scheme when things get started, likely a linebacker heavy look in the box that allows for versatility in both run and pass defense. Mason's schemes were often noted for using speed to shut down the spread offenses that have proliferated the offensive side of the ball and was noted for being particularly effective against the spread option run. Offensively, Mason said that he'd place an early focus on the trenches.
"When you watch this league, this league is physical," Mason said. "And if you want to win it, you can as beautiful or as sexy with the offense as you want to be. But when it comes down to it, you better be able to win the middle eight. You better be able to find yourself converting on third and short. And you better be able to win in the redzone. And in order to do that, you have to find a way to be physical."
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