Derek Mason

Derek Mason

Derek Mason is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University for more than six seasons, from 2014 to 2020. Mason is the first Vanderbilt football coach to beat the Tennessee Volunteers three years in a row in a game against Missouri.

About Derek Mason in brief

Summary Derek MasonDerek Mason is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University for more than six seasons, from 2014 to 2020. Mason attended Northern Arizona University from 1989 to 1992, where he was a four-year letterman and two-year starter at cornerback. After his playing career, Mason coached college football at Mesa Community College, Weber State, Bucknell, Utah, St. Mary’s, New Mexico State, and Ohio. In 2010, Mason was hired as defensive backs coach on Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Stanford. In 2012, Mason became the sole defensive coordinator for the Cardinal and was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in college football.

In 2013, the defensive coordinator position was endowed and named the Willie Shaw Director of Defense. On January 17, 2014, Vanderbilt hired Mason as its new head coach, succeeding James Franklin. Vanderbilt is the first and only school in the Southeastern Conference to have multiple minority head football coaches in its history. Mason helped the program make history in 2020 by introducing the school’s women’s soccer team into the program. He is also the first Vanderbilt football coach to beat the Tennessee Volunteers three years in a row in a game against Missouri.