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University of Minnesota Athletics
Glen Mason Dismissed As Golden Gopher Head Football Coach
12/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
University of Minnesota Athletics Director Joel Maturi announced today that Glen Mason has been dismissed as head coach of the Golden Gopher football team, effective immediately.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, but after consulting with the president, I felt it was in the best interest of the football program to make a coaching change. I believe the program needs a new vision to reignite fan enthusiasm for Gopher Football. Coach Mason brought respectability back to this program and I want to thank him for all he accomplished in his 10 years at Minnesota.”
Mason was named Minnesota’s 25th head football coach on Dec. 14, 1997. In his 10 seasons as coach of the Gophers, Mason compiled a record of 123-121, including a 6-7 mark this season. Mason led Minnesota to seven bowl games during his 10 seasons, with his best year coming in 2003 when he led the Gophers to a 10-3 record and Sun Bowl victory over Oregon, 31-30.
During his tenure, Mason coached eight players to 11 All-American citations and also had four national award winners, including Matt Spaeth, the 2006 John Mackey Award winner, and Greg Eslinger, the 2005 Rimington and Outland Award recipient.
Prior to his arrival at Minnesota, Mason spent nine seasons at Kansas (1988-96) and two years at Kent State (1986-87). In 1999, Mason became only the third coach in NCAA history to be named the conference coach of the year in three different conferences (Big 10 – 1999 / Big Eight – 1991, 1995 / Mid-American – 1986).
Mason began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for one season at Ball State (1972) before becoming an assistant coach at Allegheny College in 1973. He returned to Ball State in 1974 as a defensive line coach and spent two years following that as the offensive line coach at Iowa State (1975-76). Mason served as the offensive line coach at Illinois in 1977 before beginning a seven-year stint with Ohio State in 1978. He coached outside linebackers and the offensive line from 1978-79 at OSU before serving as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator from 1980-85.
Mason’s Record At Minnesota
Year W L T Pct Bowl Opponent
2006 Minnesota 6 7 0 .461 Insight vs. Texas Tech
2005 Minnesota 7 5 0 .583 Music City vs. Virginia
2004 Minnesota 7 5 0 .583 Music City vs. Alabama
2003 Minnesota 10 3 0 .769 Sun vs. Oregon
2002 Minnesota 8 5 0 .615 Music City vs. Arkansas
2001 Minnesota 4 7 0 .364
2000 Minnesota 6 6 0 .500 Micronpc.com vs. N.C. State
1999 Minnesota 8 4 0 .667 Sun vs. Oregon
1998 Minnesota 5 6 0 .455
1997 Minnesota 3 9 0 .250
Minnesota Totals 64 57 0 .528
Big Ten Total 32 48 0 .400
Career Totals 123 121 1 .504
Mason at Minnesota Notes
• Led Minnesota to seven bowl games in 10 years, including five straight, and won three consecutive bowl games over BCS Conference teams from 2002-04 (Arkansas - 2002 Music City Bowl, Oregon - 2003 Sun Bowl, Alabama - 2004 Music City Bowl).
• Coached 18 Gophers who were selected in the NFL Draft.
• Coached eight players to 11 All-America citations.
• Mason’s players won four major college football awards (Matt Spaeth, 2006 Mackey Award / Greg Eslinger, 2005 Rimington Trophy and Outland Trophy / Tyrone Carter, 1999 Thorpe Award)
• Coached the Gophers to their first win in school history against Penn State with a 24-23 victory in 1999, led UM to their first win against Ohio State since 1981 with a 29-17 win in 2000 and gave the Gophers their first victory over Michigan since 1986 with a 23-20 win in 2005.
• In his third season, led Minnesota to a No. 12 ranking, an 8-4 overall record and the Wells Fargo Sun Bowl, the Gophers’ first bowl appearance since 1986.
• 1999 Football News National Coach of the Year, 1999 Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year, and finalist for the 1999 FWAA Eddie Robinson and the 1999 Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year awards.
JOEL MATURI QUOTES FROM PRESS CONFERENCE
Opening statement:
“Good evening and thank you for being here on this New Year’s Eve day. Last night, I met with President (Robert) Bruininks and I asked him to support my decision that we make a football change here at the University of Minnesota. Earlier today, I spoke with Coach Mason and informed him of the decision. These decisions are never easy because they involve many people and many families. They’re especially difficult when you develop the relationships that I believe I have with this football staff. I’m thankful to Coach Mason and to his staff for their efforts, their successes and especially for their continued emphasis on the student-athlete.
“Many factors go into a decision like this, and I felt we needed a new vision, a new voice and new leadership to bring a football championship to the University of Minnesota. I look at today, the before a new year, as a new beginning for Gopher football. We have much to be excited about at the University of Minnesota, including a new on-campus stadium. Those of you who come by next Wednesday as we make a presentation to the Board of Regents will see the schematic designs for the new TCF Bank Stadium that we will open in the fall of 2009 and I am confident you will be as impressed as we are. We also believe we have a good nucleus of student-athletes returning, and there is no question this football program is in better shape today than the one Glen Mason took over 10 years ago.
“The search will begin immediately, and I promise our players, our recruits and the fans of the University of Minnesota, and especially its football program, that I will do all I can to find the best fit for the future of Gopher football.”
On being pressured to make this decision:
“The President has allowed me to act as the Athletics Director and I’ve been thankful for that. This is a decision that I obviously consulted with him about, and it’s a decision that was made last evening when I visited with him.”
On whether this decision would have been made had Minnesota beaten Texas Tech:
“If we had not lost the way we lost, we probably wouldn’t be here today.”
On the impact signing day has on the timetable for hiring a new coach:
“It will certainly make us hurry the search, but I don’t want to do it so quickly that we don’t hire the best long-term fit for the University of Minnesota.”
On the employment status of the assistant coaches:
“The assistant coaches will receive their non-renewal letters today.”
On who will run the program on an interim basis:
“That will be determined. Those coaches are still technically under contract and still employed by the University of Minnesota. We will make a decision when we meet with them next week as to how we proceed.”
On the decision being made on December 31:
“I’m not aware of all of those things. I do know we need to hurry on this because of the question that was asked before. We are a short time away from signing day, which is very important. It makes the challenge that much greater, but it’s one we believe was necessary.”
On where the money is going to come from for Mason and (Dan) Monson’s buyouts:
“We’re going to have to borrow some from the University at this time. The President and I spoke about that last night. Obviously, we in the Athletics Department are responsible for that. I’m understanding of that and we will meet that obligation.”
On what changed between extending Mason’s contract a year ago up until now:
“Obviously, I had hopes that our program would not have had the kind of year that it did. I’m pleased with the way it ended and would have been more pleased had we finished the season by winning a bowl game, but the factor of the way we lost the game, the factor of some of the efforts that were put fort this year made me conclude that we needed that new vision, new voice and new leadership for us to attain the championship we all aspire to.”
On the impact of Mason’s popularity in fundraising for the new stadium:
“Coach Mason did everything we asked for the stadium and has been a good ambassador for that. I personally have not received any resistance in any of our fundraising efforts to make a change with the coach. It was a decision that was made internally.”
On the reaction of boosters who were close to Coach Mason:
“I’m concerned about the reaction of all of our fans. I think I’ve had a reputation of being student-athlete-friendly, and I’d like to think I’ve had a reputation of being coach-friendly. It’s a situation where changes like this are never easy. I listen to everybody, but at the same time I realize these are my decisions as the Athletics Director. I have to go forward and do what I think is best at the time that I feel is right. We believe this is the right thing to do at this time for Minnesota Football.”
On the possibility of making coaching staff changes as an alternative:
“I’ve never gotten into that. I’ve never asked a coach to make changes in the coaching staff. I have talked to coaches about them re-evaluating their staffs and making sure they do so. I don’t feel you’re successful as an Athletics Director if you mandate such changes because you allow them to have an excuse therefore not to be successful. If things aren’t successful after they make a change you made them make, then I failed more than they failed.”
On whether his own job is in jeopardy:
“You’d have to ask President Bruininks that one. I feel good about what I’m trying to do as the Athletics Director here at the University of Minnesota. I feel, just as Coach Mason has the justification of feeling, this program is better than the one he inherited. I also feel this Athletics Department is better today than the one I inherited four years ago.”
On personally handling the responsibilities of hiring a new coach:
“This will be a hire that will be done by myself. We will hire a search firm, which is very commonplace and probably even more necessary now because of the timeliness, but it will be a hire that I will make in consultation with our President and we will probably some advisory people involved.”
On the status of the search for a basketball coach:
“The basketball search is underway. The difference there is that if we were to hire a present coach in the college ranks, obviously we would not be able to make such an announcement until the conclusion of the basketball season. There is not quite the urgency in that sport as there will be in the football search. I’m not trying to say that I’m putting basketball on the back-burner, because it is extremely important, but it does mean that it will not receive the 24/7 attention football will receive until this is concluded.”
On prospective candidates for the football coach position:
“This is not something I will specifically speak to. It’s one of those kinds of things I’ve always had people in mind in every sport who I’ve been involved with, but I’m not going to get into specifics as to who might or might not be a candidate.”
On hiring a current head coach from somewhere else:
“I didn’t mean to imply that I would hire a head coach in basketball. I just used that as an example of why the decision may be delayed. It’s a situation where, in any of our sports, I will hire the person I believe is the best long-term fit for the University of Minnesota.”
On when the decision was made:
“Those who know me know I don’t get a knee-jerk reaction too much. I try to let my emotions get under control. Normally I go for a jog and try to come to some conclusion. This was a thorough thought process. I met with the President late last evening and that’s when we concluded that this was the best thing to do.”
On his conversation with Coach Mason today:
“Coach Mason is a class act in my book. He’s been tremendous to me. Our relationship is one that’s improved every year we’ve been together. I’m hoping we can continue to be friends and colleagues in one way or another. I have great respect for Glen Mason.”
On himself and President Bruininks seeing eye-to-eye on this decision:
“President Bruininks was supportive of the recommendation I made to him last evening.”
On when this decision originated:
“It was a rocky season if you go back and look at each of the games. I’ve been described by one of my colleagues as an individual that looks at the glass as half-full. I’m always optimistic and always try to think positively. It’s not something I thought was going to happen. I don’t think that way. When the season concluded in the manner that it did, I felt that it was best for the long-term interests of Gopher Football that we make a change.’
On the effect of the ‘Fire Mason’ chants:
“Again, I try not to let any influence like that make a significant difference. At the same time, I’m sure those kinds of things are involved in answering the questions: What is the long-term future of Gopher Football and how positive can it be? Are our students and fans going to be behind us? Are we going to have the energy that is necessary to move forward? All of those kinds of things add to the decision that was made.”
On keeping some of the assistants on staff:
“They’re all really under employment. I still have to make a decision on whether it’s best for them and whether it’s best for us that each of them come to the office every day. I want to be fair to them and most importantly, I want to be fair to the program at the University of Minnesota. I have talked to two of our captains today and asked them to deliver the message to as many of their teammates as they could and to be positive about it because they will be the captains of the 2007 Gopher football team. I will do my best to hire the very best coach for them.”
On assuring the fans that these are the right moves:
“We can only assure them our greatest efforts. It’s a great time to be a Gopher fan and there is a lot of energy both in our men’s basketball program and in our football program. We certainly want to hire coaches who are going to reflect that energy and will revitalize and energize the state of Minnesota and the recruits around this state. We really believe the future in those sports and all of our sports remains very positive.”
On giving Mason a contract extension a year ago:
“It’s a situation where, at that time, I thought it was the right thing to do. Obviously, we’re making a decision to go in a different direction today because our feelings have changed based on some of the factors I’ve shared.”
On the fan support being a factor in the decision:
“Everything is a factor. It’s a situation where we want to bring a championship to Minnesota. That’s what we play for and that’s what Coach Mason and his staff played for. The reality is that in 10 years we have not been able to accomplish that, not because of a lack of effort. I want to assure the fans of Minnesota that we are committed to bringing a championship here, and we’re going to do everything we can to do that.”
On the responsibility of hiring a football and basketball coach at the same time:
“I wish I had a better sense of humor about things because I don’t know if there’s ever been a Division 1-A Athletics Director who probably will hire a head football and head basketball coach within weeks. It’s not something I planned and not something I relish, but I also look at it as an opportunity for me to share with the people of the state of Minnesota and the fans of this great institution that we are on the right path here. We’re going to hire the right people. They’re going to be pleased with the people we’re going to hire. They’re going to bring some energy and expertise and hopefully winning sports programs to the Gophers.”
On the future of Gopher Football:
“There are no guarantees. I do believe sometimes a change in the voice, the vision and the leadership brings you some hope and energy. I believe that’s what was needed for this football program at this time. Rightly or wrongly, we were mirrored in winning football but not winning to the level we all would like to attain.”
