HARSIN ADDS GEORGIA RECRUITING FLAVOR TO TIGERS STAFF
“I’ve wanted to work with Mike now for quite some time as he compliments the many things we want to do with our offense,” Harsin said. “We are going to be very versatile in what we do and Mike’s offensive background speaks for itself. I’m really excited to combine forces with Mike as we create the Auburn offense, a high-powered, attacking and physical unit that will come at you in many ways.”
At Colorado State, he guided the Rams to bowl games in each of his first three seasons, making him the lone coach in program history to accomplish that feat, and joined Sonny Lubick as the only two to coach the Rams in multiple bowl games in their careers.
Overall, Bobo’s teams left their marks on the offensive record book at CSU, as his squads own three of the top six marks for total offense in a season as well as the school record for most yards per game in a season, that coming in 2017. His Rams also posted three of the top seven scoring seasons in CSU history. In five seasons, he was 28-35 and 20-20 in the Mountain West Conference.
“I have a great amount of respect for Coach Harsin, both as a coach and as a person,” Bobo said. “I competed against him for five years as a head coach and we’ve talked ball on numerous occasions over the years. I know what he’s about and his commitment to excellence. I know that Auburn is a great community with a tremendous passion for and commitment to Auburn football. I’m excited to get started and look forward to helping Coach Harsin compete for championships.”
AUBURN, Ala.—Former Vanderbilt head coach and Stanford defensive coordinator, Derek Mason, has been named Auburn’s defensive coordinator, head coach Bryan Harsin announced Thursday.
“Derek Mason is one of the best defensive minds in college football and his track record speaks for itself,” Harsin said. “I’ve always admired his ability to prepare his defenses and his approach with players on and off the field is outstanding. Having experience as a head coach in the Southeastern Conference is invaluable and he will bring a lot to our program. We’re fired up to have Coach Mason join the Auburn family.”
Mason spent seven seasons at Vanderbilt (2014-20) where he became just the second coach in program history to lead a team to multiple bowl appearances. His 2018 team won six games and capped the regular season with a third straight victory over rival Tennessee and fifth in seven years. It also marked Vanderbilt’s second bowl appearance in three years under Mason.
Mason guided Vanderbilt to its eighth postseason appearance in 2016 and finished the regular season 6-6, including four wins over the final six games. The season featured marquee SEC victories over Georgia, Ole Miss and No. 24 Tennessee. Inside linebacker Zach Cunningham became Vanderbilt’s first consensus All-American in more than three decades, sweeping first-team honors.
“Auburn University is a special place with special people, and I’ve witnessed this in my time in the SEC,” Mason said. “I admire the school, the facilities, the traditions and the uniqueness of the community. Auburn has everything! Auburn embraces all that I believe in and I’m very appreciative of Coach Harsin, Director of Athletics Allen Greene, and the University Administration for this opportunity. I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Harsin and I’m excited to hit the ground running.”
