Got me fired the fuck up! Maybe I'm just football-starved.
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2021/03/what-derek-mason-said-in-1st-press-conference-as-auburn-football-defensive-coordinator.htmlDerek Mason was hired as Auburn’s defensive coordinator Jan. 7, becoming one of the first major additions to Bryan Harsin’s inaugural staff this offseason after spending the prior seven seasons as head coach at Vanderbilt.
On Monday, one week into spring practice, Mason met with the local media for the first time via Zoom to discuss his transition to Auburn, the talent he inherited on that side of the ball and the early progress of his defensive installation this spring.
Below is a full transcript of everything Mason had to say Monday:
DEREK MASON, Auburn defensive coordinatorOpening statement...“So glad to be on. Hope everybody’s doing well. I know we’re in the midst of COVID, and I know we’re all getting better in this process. Hopefully everybody’s had a chance to get vaccinated. I know we’re all moving in that direction. I was just talking to Bobo, and Bobo told me to make sure that I don’t use any Vanderbilt or Stanford words. I said, ‘Bobo, don’t worry about it. You’ll be alright buddy.’
“It’s good to see everybody again. It’s been a fast and furious last couple of months. We’ve been at it, whether you’re talking about recruiting, whether you talk about football, whether you talk about, you know, spending time with our guys. That’s the greater part of what we do here, is make sure we can help our guys get from where they are to where they want to be. It’s been fun. Right now, a couple of days into spring ball heading into practice number four getting ready for a fast and furious practice and we get ready to hit a little bit, do a little red-zone, goal-line so that’ll be fun today.
“With that, I’ll turn it over for questions and see what we can talk about today. So that being said, the floor is yours.â€
On the 3-4 defense vs. 4-3, as well as the versatility of Auburn’s front seven...“I think it’s great when you can have an opportunity to, you know, step into a place like Auburn and look and see exactly, you know, what they have available to you. I think it’s always about players, right? So when we talk about football, how do you put guys in the best possible position to, you know, permeate some success?
“Coming in, we’ve got all different types. We’ve got big guys, we’ve got long guys. So like for me, it’s a nice smorgasbord of players, man, who have different skillsets. I like to be able to see, you know, Stone (Note: I think?) Handy, who can be a four-technique but who can also slide to an end. I like to see [Chandler] Wooten as he can play inside ‘backer but he can also play outside ‘backer or walk in space. I can say the same thing about Zakoby, I can say the same thing about Owen.
“I think the versatility of the front seven, OK man, is going to be huge for us just in terms of speed, size, athleticism and trying to create one-on-one matchups. For me right now, I’m like a kid in a candy shop.â€
On the importance of this spring with a new staff...“I think it’s extremely important for these guys to really, you know, try to settle in to where we’re at. It’s about coaches meeting these guys where they are, and I think that started when we got here. Just, like, in what we did in our morning conditioning sessions and what we were able to do like with our fundamental movement pieces.
“I think for our guys, our guys just needed to get used to the language. I think it starts with language, OK, like an expectation of position play. I think once we got to the grass, I think what we started to see, you know, after several days of spending time with these guys, was that these guys started to understand, you know, exactly what what we were talking about. I think it starts with the language barrier, you know man, a little bit: what they call things, what we’re calling things now. And then once you get past the language barrier I think football, you know, is really a universal language. I think for our guys, our guys have been receptive to some of the new terminology, just trying to simplify things where we can, but really trying to take some of what they’ve done and add it to what we do.
“I mean, like, there’s no use in re-inventing the wheel as a coach, OK man. If it’s a slant technique, let’s call it a slant technique. If it’s easier for them to remember, again, that’s the part as a coach where you’ve got to meet guys where they are so that we can get to a faster, greater understanding of how we want something played. That’s been fun. The guys have been receptive, and I kidded them a little bit about some of the things that we’ve been implemented, and they’ve chided me a little bit. So it’s been fun. We’ve gone back and forth, but they do understand the expectation.â€
On transitioning back to being a defensive coordinator after spending seven seasons as a head coach at Vanderbilt...“It’s fun for me. I’m a solider. I can lead, man, but I can also follow. And I think those are the important things I think coach Harsin was looking for as he put together this staff; you know, guys with experience, guys who understand, you know man, how do get things done the way he wants it done. And that’s important. Coach Harsin is the tip of the spear, so for me, it’s been great just to focus on the ball, focus on the recruiting, focus on the development of players and what does that look like? And then just talking about the relationships. I think I’m a relationship coach. I mean, everybody likes to say that they are. I spent a lot of time, you know, with these guys, getting to know their stories.â€
“You know, once you understand the why and you can establish trust, an opportunity to get them to grow fast and grow quickly is what’s needed for us right now. I mean we’re in the midst of spring ball still during the pandemic, so with that being said, our meetings look different, they’re not like the meetings of old. You’re still in this idea of, okay, I’m going to send you information, we’re going to talk about some things, I’m going to trust at the end of the day that you’re going to be able to take this information, look at it, if you have questions, bring those questions to the classroom and I think these guys have done a terrific job of being trusted with the information that they’re given and have questions when they step into our meetings. I think that trust is reciprocal. It takes time on both sides but I think we’ve gotten to a good place.â€
On what he learned from being a head coach that can help him as a coordinator...“I think that’s a great question. I think for me, during my time at Vanderbilt I had a chance to do both. I was a head coach, but then I had to come back and call plays for a couple of years. And you know, in that time what you realize is from the technology standpoint, being able to utilize the tools that are available to you. Nowadays information that we give to young men has changed over the past 10 years. It used to be video tape, used to come over to your office and give you a DVD. Nowadays, okay, it’s about PowerPoint presentations and overlays and everything else under the sun. I think the ability to streamline, getting the information to your guys, but also you know, teaching tools. Because we have different types of learners. We have kinesthetic learners. Auditory learners. Guys who need to see and touch and feel it. So with that being said, I think for me, just being able to make sure I can utilize the time. Time is a nonrenewable resource in this thing. I understood that as a head coach, but now, coming back as a coordinator, you’ve gotta value the time. Value your time, value their time and make all the time count.â€
On his prior relationship with Bryan Harsin, and how he was approached about coming to Auburn...“Well you know looking at opportunities, I thought I was going back to the NFL, to be honest. I didn’t think I was going to take a college job. I felt like, for me, I needed a break from the college game for just a little bit after seven years at Vanderbilt. I had been contacted by several college teams about their opportunities, but when coach Harsin called, we had a prior relationship. I’ve known coach Harsin for years. For us to have gone on trips, Kes and my wife LeighAnne have spent time together, we’ve got children that are around the same age. A couple that have similar stories just in terms of like dealing with growing up as a coach’s child. I think for us it was just so many things we connected on. Some of those ideas were philosophical, some of those ideas were just about life and ball and how we see family.
“So, when we had an opportunity to talk, the conversation was very much to the point about his vision for Auburn. And that vision was set in stone, it was very strategic, it had all the making of what I thought a good leader should talk about coming into a situation like this. Which I thought was unique. For him to get me to come up here on my way home — because believe me, I was on my way back home — we got to come through here, sat down for a couple of hours. Had a chance to talk ball, but it was more about connecting on, like, the ideology of how he wanted to run the program and what he wanted and what he needed from me.
“With that being said, I talked to my wife, it was a quick turnaround and I found myself really loving this place from the time I touched down. I drove into the city — I didn’t know what to expect — they call it the Plains, I got here and I found a terrific city, really nice community and a university that has a lot to sell when you talk about the student-athlete experience. So, from the city to the university experience to what coach Harsin is bringing, all that seemed to fit for me. So it was an easy decision. I feel good about where we are right now. Believe me, I would’ve made this decision 10 out of 10 times. Auburn is the place for me. War Eagle.â€
On the flexibility in the secondary...“I look at where we are right now and Smoke Monday is going to lead this group, there’s no doubt about that. I have seen LT, Tennison, show up and he’s been phenomenal back there in the first three practices in terms of how him and Smoke have worked together in terms of their ability to communicate. Then on the corners, I think we’ve got some really good players. Roger, I think he’s a tremendous talent. He’s got the ability to play on Sunday, but what I want right now is for these young men to show up big on Saturdays. That’s what we’re working on. We’re working on his ability to play on different platforms and I’m seeing the same thing from (Jaylin) Simpson as well. Tremendously talented and he’s got great short-area quickness and good long speed.
“Then Nehemiah Pritchett, right now he’s playing at the nickel position. There’s a lot of competition back there on the back end. The safety group has got to continue to communicate, but Smoke has played a lot of football. Everybody around them is sort of looking for him to make the communication work. I have asked Smoke to step back a little bit and let these guys get up and speak because when everybody communicates we get better. He’s going to need this group to play with him. At the corner position we have depth. At the safety position we need more experience. These guys are getting valuable experience in spring ball. Then the nickel position, between LT and Nehemiah and when we get Zion back, I think this group is going to be pretty formidable. What we’ve got to do is take it one day at a time.â€
On assessing his time at Vanderbilt...“Growth is optional, change is inevitable. That’s part of the process. I knew that and I’ve known that for 28 years. I have always looked at the opportunity to take on the day or try to dominate the day. It’s never a 10-year contract or a three-year contract. It’s every week and every day. Looking back we graduated our student-athletes at a high level and developed guys at a high level. Several young men had an opportunity to get their degree from Vanderbilt and play in the NFL. We tried to do it with class and integrity. We had academic excellence at that place. That would be part of the legacy. We had wins and some big wins against our rivals. We were able to do some things during our time there. Now there’s a new captain at the helm and I wish him all the best. Here at Auburn I look forward to what the future holds for this coaching staff and these players. I think we’ve got a good football team.â€
On the two-gap up front defensively...“It’s always important. I think the ability to be able to play single is what you have to do, but we’re to jet. There’s also going to be some opportunities to two-gap. We’re going to be in a three-down front, four-down front and five-down front. All of it has got to be physical. What you talk about is re-establishing the line of scrimmage because it’s a line of scrimmage game. In this conference if you can’t re-establish the line of scrimmage you’ve got no chance. That’s part of what Coach Eason, Coach Schmedding and Coach Watts are talking about now.
“What’s good about where we sit is that with Coach Schmedding and Coach Watts I’ve got two former defensive coordinators. When we get in the room we laugh it up. It’s like getting into a chemistry lab and let’s talk about exactly how we want to attack the line of scrimmage. What do we need to do from leverage to techniques to where we place our eyes. Then we bring the grand poobah into it, Nick Eason, and try to let Nick move us around to what we want with some stemming and the ability to move the front so we can create vertical seams and not just stay in the same place the whole time. I like where we’re at right now. A lot of things happening, a lot of teaching going on, but really for our guys I think they’re getting better everyday and that’s what we want.â€
On Jeremiah Wright, who has been working with the first-team defense at tackle...“Jeremiah is a talented dude. He loves ball. I think for him, he feels natural on the defensive side of the ball. What I have seen is great pad level and strong at the point of attack. Him and Truesdell have been going at it and that’s what you want to see. Him coming over to the defensive side of the ball has made the interior position a little more competitive in terms of what we’re doing. His ability to transition from run to pass is something we’re looking forward to. Again, you like the ability to stop the run, but you also want somebody that can go from run to pass, and fast. It’s not always going to be run; it’s not always going to be pass, so to have somebody who has the ability to hold up against the run, take on the double-team, to jet the A-gap and be quick as a three-technique, but also transition from run to pass is something that I think Jeremiah brings to the table.
“He’s getting better every time he hits the grass. Coach Eason loves his temperament; he’s a work, hard work guy. So, right now, that’s where he sits. He’s going to stay in that mode until we get through these 15 practices, and then we’ll get a chance to evaluate where he is. But right now, I love where he’s going.â€
On his thoughts about the linebacker corps...“When you look at the linebacker group, you know as a whole, I think it’s probably our deepest group. There’s depth. Obviously, Owen and Zakoby played a tremendous amount of snaps; we’re taking some snaps off of these guys, but these guys right now, collectively as a group, they’re fast, they’re sudden, they’re deep, they’re physical. They’re probably the most communicative group right now, in terms of just being able to talk about what they see. I think they’ve bought into what Coach Schmedding is selling. I think for these guys, they’ve enjoyed the ability to do multiple things in this defense.
“What we’re going to try to do is find the one-on-one matchups. We’re going to let them run and hit when they want, when they need to run and hit, but we’re also going to make sure they have the chance to rush the passer. So, this linebacker group is going to be a versatile group. We’re going to see a lot of guys playing, and hopefully what we’re able to do is put these guys into multiple positions so that at times they’re going to be running downhill, they’re going to be dropping and they’re also going to be in coverage. Nowadays with all the spread offenses, when you have more position players, these guys and this group right now is probably the most diverse group on our football team in terms of defensive structure.â€
On what he asks of the edge defenders in his defense...“Again, for us, as we have had the chance to put these guys on the grass, you’ve seen our edge guys walk in space, you’ve seen our edge guys rush off the edge. They’ve got to be able to play the run, so I think, you know as an edge guy in this defense, you better be ready to drop, you better be ready to match, you better be able to go from run to pass, in terms of pass-rush ability, and then I think these guys like they play right and left, so they’re never going to be in the same spot more than, like, two consecutive plays. With that being said, it makes them smarter. They’re much more versatile, in terms of what’s being asked of them. But, at the same token, I’d say they like showing their skillsets. That’s one of the things about these guys—everybody wants to do everything, and I told them, ‘as long as you give us the effort in terms of what we’re doing, I don’t care about the mistakes right now. We’re going to make mistakes; football is not a perfect game, and we’re going to make our mistakes, but let’s sure we’re making them fast and making them physical.’ I think that’s the mantra of the outside group right now: Wreck anything that I see—run, pass, it doesn’t matter. If there’s movement, I’m going to hit it, so let’s go.â€
On Auburn’s depth at cornerback...“In this conference, as you know, it’s not like you’re going to be facing 21 personnel, OK. You face 11 personnel, sometimes even 10 personnel, depending on who you play. For us, the ability to have guys who are position flexes—you started talking about six corners, but some of those guys could play nickel. So, if you slide some of those guys inside, what’s a nickel? A nickel is either a safety who’s got run/pass flexibility or a corner who can guard inside and show up in the run game. So, I think having the depth at corner allows us to move some pieces around to make sure we get the best players on the field and we build depth when you talk about coverage.
“In this defense, man, you’re going to have to be able to cover. Whether we’re playing zone or man, it doesn’t matter; you want guys with length, speed, athleticism, and I think that’s what we have right now. Zac Etheridge is doing a terrific job in having these guys understand what the expectation is from practice to practice. And with everybody learning at the same time, everybody’s in the same boat. Everybody’s got the same opportunity to get better every day. That’s what we’re seeing right now; it’s pretty competitive. Domio is not with us right now; he should be back the second half of the spring. He’s working through an injury, so with that being said, I look forward to getting him back. And when Dreshun (Miller) gets here in the summer, we’ll have the full secondary or the full gamut of corners at our disposal. So we’ll be able to move those guys around and slide some of those guys inside so they can play some nickel.â€
On the relationships with guys on the defensive staf..“It’s going well. You know, Zac and I work together, and so Zac coaches the corners, but I identify him as a secondary coach. I don’t only put him as a corners coach. Zac is a bright and brilliant young coach. But his energy, his ability to understand the game is far beyond his years. He’s a great X’s and O’s guy. But the guys believe in him. He understands Auburn. He played here. He understands what this place can be. So with that, it’s been good to get his take on how he sees our group and what are we about and where do we need to go.
“Jeff Schmedding, again, was the defensive coordinator at Boise. And so, like, me and Jeff understand each other from the idea that he’s coached safeties, he’s coached backers. He understands the front seven, but he also understands backend schemes. So like, again, we’re like two scientists in a lab. We always get after one another, and we find ways to try to make it simple, try to make it better but really just try to make it relatable for our guys. And I think our relationship is really good.
“Bert Watts. Bert came from Memphis and played at Cal. And I’ve known Bert for some years. Tremendous, tremendous coach. Smart. Understands special teams, special teams coordinator. But, having been a defensive coordinator, he brings a lot of football intelligence to what we’re doing. He’s seen what it looks like in spread as well as some of the mid-line and end attacks that we’re going to see from offenses. I like his experience.
“And then Nick Eason. Me and Nick worked together for a little bit, a little bit, at Vandy. But I spent a lot of time with him when he was with the Titans. And he was under Dick Lebeau. Again. You talk about 3-4 structure, his understanding of how to coach these guys, how to teach these guys exactly what we’re looking for in terms of the physicality, but also some of the finesse pieces that show up and some of the technical aspects of what they’re going to be asked to do. Nick is a consummate pro. Terrific teacher.
“And I think, that’s the thing with this group. Not only are they experienced coaches, they’re great teachers. I mean, who can get to these guys real fast and make it relatable, learnable and likable. I think that’s our group. That’s where we sit defensively. Smart group, great group. And you know, I’m actually the fallback of the group. A lot of smart guys in the room. I listen to their ideas, and we run with it.â€
On the value of his SEC experience on staff...“I think an understanding. These teams, the guys that we play against, having gone against most of the West, I have a pretty good understanding of what the league looks like. I’ve been in rooms with those head coaches. I’ve seen most of the guys on the film and had the chance to go against most of these guys in person. So looking at schemes, evaluating coaching staffs and looking at their experience as well as their rosters, I think it will be (inaudible). We’re going to cut to the chase. I don’t think guys have to wonder who we’re going against. I know who we’re going against.
“So that, what it’s about is assessing our own talent, putting us in the best possible position for Auburn to go fast because we’ve got eight, seven or eight months, to get this thing going and get it going fast. We cut to the chase. The chase is about recruiting, ok, and developing your own guys. That’s what we got to do. That’s where we are. Even in the midst of spring ball, every day is about recruiting. So we’re hitting it extremely hard, and I think that’s sort of been where it’s taking a little bit of time for us to figure out exactly who we are. Coach knows who we are. Everybody’s just getting on the same page, and now, going real fast.
“So that’s where we’re at. I look forward to seeing you guys at A-Day if we don’t get a chance to talk to you before that. But excited to be at Auburn. Excited to be on the plains, and excited to be coaching this defense.â€
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