Vanderbilt fans need to have patience with Derek Mason in rebuilding process
By Jason Hall
Published:
Vanderbilt is a mess. Plain and simple, the Commodores have many areas of improvement needed to be addressed moving forward. However, the head coach is not one of them.
Mason entered with high expectations as a successful defensive coordinator at Stanford. In 2012, the Cardinal won its first Pac-12 champions since 1999 and Mason was a finalist for the Broyles Award. The following year, Mason was named the Willie Shaw Director of Defense as the team repeated as conference champions.
Though Derek Mason’s start at Vanderbilt has been less than stellar, its far from justifying an immediate firing. After losing a season opening game to Temple, the talk of the first-year head coach being on the hot seat began. In Week 2, a fan launched the website www.firederekmason.com after the Commodores allowed the first of several touchdowns scored by Ole Miss in a 41-3 loss.
But Mason isn’t a miracle worker and Vanderbilt needs time to develop. When James Franklin left for Penn State, he jumped off a sinking ship and swam to shore, swaying many of Vanderbilt’s top commits to Happy Valley. The Commodores also lost several key players, including all-time leading receiver Jordan Matthews.
Mason accepted the job and the responsibility of salvaging a depleted recruiting class and guiding a young roster through a difficult SEC schedule. Aside from the Temple loss, Vanderbilt’s lack of success hasn’t been a huge surprise this season. The Commodores have losses to three ranked opponents and an improved Kentucky team.
Vanderbilt has seen limited success in several areas. Redshirt freshman Ralph Webb has provided the Commodores with a consistent option at running back, leading with 499 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Freshman linebacker Nigel Bowden has a team-best 44 tackles and is averaging 7.3 per game.
Vanderbilt’s roulette at quarterback is more based on Patton Robinette’s inability to stay healthy than Mason’s poor decision making. Robinette is the best option at quarterback and has been the most efficient player under center. Not to say Vanderbilt’s offense is a juggernaut with the sophomore, but definitely more respectable.
But rather than force Robinette back into the lineup, Mason has sidelined his quarterback until he is cleared by team doctors. While other coaches are scrutinized for putting concussed players back into the game, Mason has put his players safety ahead of his team’s success.
It’s going to take some time for Vanderbilt to achieve the success it saw under James Franklin, but Mason should be a solid option moving forward. If he can recruit the right personnel, the Commodores could see improvement down the road.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
