A few years ago, it would’ve been pretty odd to think Vanderbilt would go after a star coordinator from a perennial BCS contender.
But after James Franklin showed there’s actually some upside in Nashville, Vanderbilt can aim a little higher. Case in point: The Commodores are set to interview Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason, according to CBS Sports’ Jeremy Fowler.
Since Mason became Stanford’s defensive coordinator Willie Shaw Director of Defense in 2011, the Cardinal have ranked among the top defenses in college football and cracked the top 10 in scoring defense (19 points per game) last fall. Mason was a Broyles Award finalist in 2013 and oversaw the development of star linebackers Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy, among others.
One rumored candidate for the Vandy job won’t compete with Mason for it -- Franklin’s defensive coordinator, Bob Shoop, will follow him to Penn State.
