Tramel's ScissorTales: Oklahoma State football's hiring of Derek Mason comes with promise & peril
Derek Mason is Mike Gundy’s new defensive coordinator, and it’s a hire that comes with great promise. And perhaps great peril.
The promise is easy to spot. Mason has an excellent résumé. Frankly, it’s a much better résumé than either of the last two men who held the job. Glenn Spencer turned out good and Jim Knowles turned out great.
But could Mason’s arrival threaten OSU’s defensive continuity?
The Wednesday ScissorTales explain why David Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and check in on the backgrounds of the College Football Playoff committee's newest members. But we start with Gundy's hire of Mason.
Joe Bob Clements has been coaching the Cowboy line for nine years. Same for Tim Duffie coaching cornerbacks. Dan Hammerschmidt has been coaching safeties for seven years.
That’s rare stability.
'Right fit for me': Derek Mason hired as Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator
New blood often is good. But coaching continuity is a major advantage for programs. Especially at a school like OSU, which has begun punching above its weight class in the last dozen or so years under Gundy.
We just saw how valuable constancy can be to a football team. OSU’s 2021 squad was loaded with veterans. Four-, five-, in some cases six-year Cowboys, coached by men who mostly had been around quite awhile.
That’s one of the blueprints for OSU success. A head coach who has been around forever. An established staff. Players who like it in Stillwater and stick around.
Going outside the program for a coordinator could threaten that stability. Clements, especially, seemed a natural candidate to succeed Knowles, who took off for Ohio State.
Will the hire of Mason cause Clements, Duffie, Hammerschmidt or the more-recently-hired Greg Richmond (line) to reconsider their futures at OSU?
Doesn’t have to. OSU insider Robert Allen reported that Mason met with the defensive staff several days ago, which was a great move by Gundy. If there are initial conflicts, perhaps the signs would appear before the hire.
Still, you can’t know for sure, and you can’t blame staff long-timers for wondering why Gundy didn’t hire in-house, considering the stability and the success. OSU’s 2021 defense was among the nation’s best.
More: Five things to know about Derek Mason, Oklahoma State's new defensive coordinator
Perhaps the reason was simply Mason’s interest and availability. He seems like the total package.
The last two times anyone saw Mason’s Auburn defense, the Tigers held Houston to 17 points in the Birmingham Bowl and held Alabama to a solitary field goal until the final 30 seconds of the Iron Bowl. Bama escaped with a 24-22, four-overtime victory. But the Crimson Tide had three points and 263 total yards through 59½ minutes.
The previous seven seasons, Mason had the thankless job of being Vanderbilt’s head coach. As I pointed out last week, his winning percentage of .329 (27-55) is third-best among the 11 Vanderbilt coaches since 1974.
Mason was butting heads with Southeastern Conference opponents who have every advantage over the Commodores. That seems like solid training for a defensive coordinator at OSU, which isn’t a blueblood but also isn’t fighting with one hand tied behind its back.
And of course, Mason spent four years coordinating defenses at Stanford. Hired by Jim Harbaugh, promoted by David Shaw. Mason was a 2012 finalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the assistant coach of the year.
Stanford went to two Rose Bowls, a Fiesta Bowl and an Orange Bowl in Mason’s four seasons. He’s been a part of big winners.
So Mason appears to be a quality hire — new blood and lots of success — so long as OSU’s greatest trait, its continuity, isn’t damaged.
The List: College football’s greatest left-handed quarterbacks
Dillon Gabriel is the presumptive OU quarterback for 2022. Gabriel is a transfer from Central Florida and a left-hander. Southpaw quarterbacks have not always been common. Heck, they’re not all that common now.
Here are the 12 greatest left-handers in college football history:
1. Tim Tebow, Florida: Helped the Gators to the 2006 national title, then led the Gators to the 2008 national title, and in between won the 2007 Heisman Trophy.
2. Matt Leinart, Southern Cal: Among the best Heisman vote-collectors ever. Placed sixth in 2003, first in 2004 and third in 2005. Was 37-2 as the Trojan starter, with two national championships, counting The Associated Press crown in ’03.
3. Michael Vick, Virginia Tech: Led the Hokies to the 1999 national championship game and scared the pants off Florida State.
4. Terry Baker, Oregon State: Won the 1962 Heisman, with a 15/5 touchdown to interception ratio that was incredible for his day.
5. Steve Young, Brigham Young: Placed second in the 1983 Heisman voting (Nebraska’s Mike Rozier won). If you ever needed an example of Heisman regional bias, here it is. In 1983, Young completed 71.3 percent of his passes, for 3,902 yards, 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Boston College’s Doug Flutie finished third, after completing 51.3 percent of his passes, for 2,704 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. And Young ran for more yards. Young is what a Heisman contender should be. Flutie was not. Not in 1983.
More: Here are the OSU football players in the transfer portal & those declared for the 2022 NFL Draft
6. Frankie Albert, Stanford: A pioneer as college football’s first T-formation quarterback, Albert led Stanford’s Wow Boys to a 10-0 record in 1940. He basically invented the bootleg play.
7. Kellen Moore, Boise State: A four-year starter who in Heisman voting placed seventh (2009), fourth (2010) and eighth (2011). Threw 142 career touchdown passes and just 28 interceptions.
8. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama: Came off the bench to lead Alabama to victory in the 2017 national championship game, then finished second in the 2018 Heisman voting.
9. Josh Heupel, Oklahoma: Led the Sooners to the 2000 national title, placed second in the Heisman voting and launched OU’s now-grand tradition of passing quarterbacks.
10. Pat White, West Virginia: Followed Vick as a forerunner of the dual-threat quarterback, White placed sixth in the 2007 Heisman voting and seventh in 2008. White rushed for 4,480 career yards (more than Samaje Perine’s OU career record) and threw for 6,049.
11. Paul McDonald, Southern Cal: Led USC to the 1978 national title, threw 37 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions (outstanding for the ‘70s) and was 22-1 as a starter.
12. Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State: Led the Mountaineers to NCAA Division I-AA championships in 2006 and 2007. He also quarterbacked Appalachian State to its historic upset victory at Michigan in 2007.
Tramel: Conference realignment shows the Big 12 should make its divisions based on geography
Meet College Football Playoff committee’s newest members
The College Football Playoff committee has four new members, which means it’s time to look into their backgrounds and check for OU, OSU, Big 12 or SEC ties.
As recently as a few years ago, two committee members were recused when talks drifted to the Sooners – OU athletic director Joe Castiglione and former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose son, Shane, was on Lincoln Riley’s OU staff.
It’s always interesting to check out the backgrounds of the committee members, but not because anyone should be on the lookout for ulterior motives – the playoff committee seems to be completely above board. Rather, a background check just sheds some light on the committee’s experience with different programs and conferences and geographical areas. It goes to point of view.
Football in the Northeast is not the same as football in the South. Football out West is not the same as football in the Great Lakes region. Winning a football game at Boise State or Troy isn’t easy, but does everyone across the country know that?
The new committee members are Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk; retired coach Jim Grobe; Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel; and former USA Today sportswriter Kelly Whiteside. They will replace Barta, former sportswriter Paola Boivin, former coach Tyrone Willingham and Georgia State AD Charlie Cobb. Their terms expired.
“Chet, Jim, Warde and Kelly will be outstanding additions to the committee as we enter our ninth season,” said playoff director Bill Hancock, an OU graduate from Hobart. “Their expertise, knowledge and integrity, along with their love of college football, will allow them to fit right in with the returning members.”
Here is the background of the new committee members:
Chet Gladchuk: Navy’s athletic director for 20 years, Gladchuk made news last season when he fired Midshipmen offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper in mid-season. Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo petitioned Gladchuk to reinstate Jasper, and Jasper was brought back, but in a reduced role. Gladchuk, 71, also has been AD at Tulane, Boston College and Houston. He worked at Massachusetts and Syracuse, and coached high school football in New England. Gladchuk played football at Boston College.
More: Who are the Sooners targeting to round out the 2022 class? Meet Jaxson Dart and more candidates
Jim Grobe: Grobe, 69, a 40-year coach, was head coach at Ohio U. (1995-2000), Wake Forest (2001-2013) and Baylor (2016). Grobe coached Wake to the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Grobe came out of retirement to lead Baylor in 2016 after Art Briles was fired in May. Grobe also was a graduate assistant at Virginia, a high school coach in Virginia and an assistant coach at Emory & Henry, Marshall and Air Force. Grobe played football at Ferrum Junior College in Virginia and the University of Virginia. Grobe grew up in Huntington, West Virginia.
Warde Manuel: Manuel, 53, is in his sixth year the Michigan athletic director. He grew up in New Orleans and played at Michigan. Manuel also was AD at Connecticut and Buffalo. Manuel worked in administration at Michigan and Georgia Tech from 1990-2005.
Kelly Whiteside: Whiteside, a Rutgers alumnus, spent 14 years at USA Today, covering college football and a variety of sports. She was the first female president of the Football Writers Association of America. Whiteside also worked at Newsday and Sports Illustrated. Since 2014, she has been a journalism professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey.
The other committee members are Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart, Wyoming AD Tom Burman, North Carolina State AD Boo Corrigan, Colorado AD Rick George, Kansas State AD Gene Taylor, former Nebraska star Will Shields (a Lawton High School graduate), Virginia Union AD Joe Taylor, former Penn State star John Urschel and former Notre Dame player Rod West.
The playoff management committee also announced that Corrigan would be the playoff committee’s new chairman. Corrigan will be the conduit between the committee and the public. He replaces Iowa athletic director Gary Barta. Previous committee members were Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens and then-Arkansas AD Jeff Long.
It will be Corrigan’s job to explain why Houston is not ranked higher and why a two-loss Stanford is ahead of a one-loss Iowa. The answers rarely are satisfying or forthcoming, though I will say that Barta did a solid job in a difficult situation.
“We are pleased that Boo will serve as chair,” Hancock added. “He was an important member of the committee last year, and in this new role he will serve as a great manager inside the room and a wonderful spokesperson to the media and fans.”
Why David Oritz was voted into Cooperstown
David Ortiz was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez were not.
This is not difficult to understand.
Voters are holding the pioneers of baseball’s steroid era accountable.
Ortiz is not the caliber of player that Bonds or Clemens were. Bonds and Clemens were landmark players. The best of their era and among the best of any era. They were superstars before the juices started flowing on diamonds all across America.
But Ortiz, who almost surely used performance-enhancing drugs, was voted in. Bonds, Clemens and A-Rod, who are the poster childs of the steroid era, were kept out.
Under the current Cooperstown system, the Baseball Writers Association of America votes on players initially. Seventy-five percent approval is needed for enshrinement.
Ortiz got 77.9 percent, Bonds 66 percent, Clemens 65.2 percent and Rodriguez 34.3 percent. Bonds and Clemens were in their final year on the writers’ ballot. Their Hall of Fame hopes now go to committees.
I expect they eventually will get in. I don’t know for sure. But the bigger the electorate, the less rational thought you have in elections.
Not that I support Bonds, Clemens and Rodriguez for Cooperstown. Nor am I against it.
I don’t care. I cared in the old days. But no longer. Not since the steroids soiled baseball’s hallowed records. Not since the numbers stopped meaning anything.
Nope, I’m just trying to explain why the voting occurred the way it did.
And it seems clear to me that the writers are holding the pioneers responsible. The Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa/Bonds/Clemens/A-Rod crowd.
The players who paved the way for astronomical numbers. McGwire hitting 70 home runs. Bonds 73. Clemens going 18-4 with a 2.98 earned run average at age 41, then going 13-8 with a National League-best 1.87 ERA at age 42.
The next wave of guys – the Ortiz/Mike Piazza/Jeff Bagwell crowd – who might have juiced but we don’t know for sure, they are given a pass not because we don’t know, but because the writers know the barn door is open.
You can’t turn back the clock. The hallowed numbers have been vaporized and no longer mean much. Jim Thome hit 612 home runs, was never fingered as a juicer and yet he was not an automatic Hall of Famer, though he did eventually get in.
Why was Thome not a Cooperstown grand slam? Because it’s only natural to wonder about steroids, even void of any evidence or accusations. Because after McGwire, Sosa and Bonds, 612 home runs have lost their meaning.
Back when Frank Robinson and Harmon Killebrew and Mike Schmidt took aim at 500, then 600 home runs (all landed from 548-586), those were treasured mile markers. Sacred numbers. Watershed goals toward baseball immortality.
Now? Just a number. So Albert Pujols has 679 home runs. Junior Griffey 630. Rafael Palmeiro 569. Some juiced, some didn’t, and few have the access or the energy to distinguish. It rains on the just and the unjust.
So Ortiz, who was named in a 2009 federal-government investigation as testing positive in 2003 for performance-enhancing drugs, and his 541 home runs are ushered into Cooperstown because everyone is tired of fighting the battle. Tired of trying to sort it all out.
But Bonds and Clemens and A-Rod, like McGwire and Sosa before them, we don’t have to figure it out. We know they juiced. We know all those jogs around the bases or all those inflated numbers in their 40s, was ill-gotten gain.
We know the road they paved and we know baseball suffered from it and suffers still.
Someone has to pay. Baseball can’t catch all the crooks who soiled the game, but we caught the guys who started it.
And so far, banishment from Cooperstown is their penance.
Tramel's ScissorTales: NFC needs Kyler Murray as a savior from the AFC's star quarterbacks
Mailbag: NFC vs. AFC
For the Tuesday ScissorTales, I wrote about the coming storm in pro football, with the American Conference having most of the great young quarterbacks and the National Conference dominated by aging QBs. And a reader asked a very good question.
Bill: “Just out of curiosity, what's the relevance of AFC vs. NFC now about 50 years after their melding into one? I admittedly only watch the NFL from a distance, unlike college football which I follow much more closely. I do watch it closer during the postseason. Anyway, is there a AFC vs. NFC ‘ownership’ type thing among fans like there is in relation to college football conferences? I guess I could understand it in the decade or two after the fusion of the two when it was kind of ‘big brother vs. little brother.’ So I guess I was surprised to see it as a topic this long after the marriage. Though if you find it worthy of a headline for your ScissorsTale column, that in and of itself must indicate that there is an interest among at least some devotees. Just wondering.”
Tramel: Great question. And you're right, it's not a question of pride. No bragging rights. This is not college football. When the Raiders beat the Cowboys, nobody was chanting “A-F-C! A-F-C!” But it is relevant for this reason. If one conference gets quarterback-dominant over the other, it could signal from where the Super Bowl champ is likely to come. These days, we don't even think about it, because for 25 years, it hasn't mattered. Whoever wins either conference is Super Bowl worthy most years. But in the ’80s and ’90s, the AFC champ usually was inferior, and the Super Bowl was often a big letdown. The NFC Championship Game was the defacto Super Bowl. That's what we need to avoid now, with so many great QBs in the AFC, and the NFC about to be possibly void of the same.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Derek Mason hiring comes with promise, peril for OSU football
