Entering this season, Derek Mason was on the hot seat. Mason was 7-17 entering this season, and he had failed to sustain the success of his predecessor, James Franklin.
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The Commodores started the season with a bad loss to South Carolina, and it looked like a bowl game was out of the question halfway through the season. Then, Vanderbilt upset Georgia, and they finished the season with double digit wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee. Now, Mason is in negotiations for a contract extension according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
Rittenberg tweeted: "Vanderbilt and coach Derek Mason have started discussions about a revised contract that would include a raise and more years, ESPN has learned. The Commodores won four of their final six games, closing with wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee, to finish 6-6 and ensure their first bowl game under Mason, who has improved his record in each of the past two seasons."
James Franklin went 9-4 in back-to-back seasons, and he was able to land the Penn State job, where he now makes over $4 million annually. If Mason can continue this success over the next couple of seasons, he might also be in line for a bigger job in the college football world.
[h/t Saturday Down South]