Minnesota FINALLY fires Mason..................

[Cap'n Cat]

This guy was the standard bearer for mediocrity. That spectacular loss to Texas Tech is the legacy that will remain of that Mort.

Cap'n Cat is a much bigger FCS and Northern Iowa fan than he is Minnesota or Big Ten, but you live in an area in which you're saturated with Gopher/Big Ten **** and you can't help but get some sort of feelings for the place. Hope they go bigtime with a selection. New on-campus stadium coming up, they can only go up.

:nono: :nono: :nono:

[GoGuins]

Minnesota always beat up on cupcakes and would start the season 5-0 then fall flat on their faces in B10 play. Calling Mason mediocre is being generous.

When Cooper left OSU, Mason was being talked about for the Ohio State job. If he had gotten it, OSU probably would be playing in the Alamo Bowl every year

[ngineer]

Don't know all that much about Gopher football, but my recollection is that UM was worse when Mason arrived and that he at least had them winning more than they were losing. Couple big wins AT Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan the past couple years. PLus, didn't they give him a FOUR YEAR EXTENSION just last year?! IF Mason was so bad, then how is that justified? Shouldn't the AD be canned as well under that scenario?
"Big Time" college football :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[furpal87]

I think some people were looking for an excuse to fire him, and the bowl game gave it to them.

[Marcus Garvey]

Mason did very well at Kansas prior to taking the Minnesota job. I think Gopher fans have unrealistic expectations of what their program is capable of considering their facilities and complete lack of tradition since JFK was killed.

Mason should have been allowed to coach them for a few years in the new stadium. Then, if he continued having 6-6 seasons (2-6 in Big 10 play) he should have been fired.

If the rednecks running Alabama's athletic department had a lick of sense (and I don't believe they do), they'd call Mason's agent ASAP. Given the resources at 'Bama, he'd do very well.

[ISUMatt]

5 straight bowl games to me is more than expected at Minnesota...

[JohnStOnge]

Don't know all that much about Gopher football, but my recollection is that UM was worse when Mason arrived and that he at least had them winning more than they were losing.

True, I think. See http://michigan-football.com/ncaa/f/minnesot.htm .
He became Minnesota head coach 12/14/1997 so 1998 would've been his first season. I'm not going to try to look at every nine-year period and add up the numbers but just looking at the yearly records back through 1945 I don't immediately see one that looks like the record was as good as the Gophers' record was during Mason's tenure. Looks like Mason's tenure might arguably be the most successful period since 1945 for Minnesota's program.

I can understand them wanting to move on to the next level (hopefully) and feeling that Mason had taken them about as far as he was going to take them. But it does look to me like he did a pretty good job.

[Cap'n Cat]

The guy has never been a favorite here. He's been a joke and, consistent with the notion of "Minnesota Nice", he's only been allowed to stay because no one had the balls to fire his lame, whinin' ass.

His bowl games? Dude was 6-6 this year in a season marred by uninspired W's v uninspiring teams (less NDSU). If Minnesota had any guts at all, they woulda refused to go to a bowl game this year.

Mason and his tenure made up of the things about which we FCSrs like to shag BCS.

If you like mediocrity and spinning wheels, you are a Mason fan.


:nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

[Cap'n Cat]

True, I think. See http://michigan-football.com/ncaa/f/minnesot.htm .
He became Minnesota head coach 12/14/1997 so 1998 would've been his first season. I'm not going to try to look at every nine-year period and add up the numbers but just looking at the yearly records back through 1945 I don't immediately see one that looks like the record was as good as the Gophers' record was during Mason's tenure. Looks like Mason's tenure might arguably be the most successful period since 1945 for Minnesota's program.

I can understand them wanting to move on to the next level (hopefully) and feeling that Mason had taken them about as far as he was going to take them. But it does look to me like he did a pretty good job.


John,
When you're coasting, as the Gopher program was, you're going downhill. The goal of every coach and program is to win a conference championship and a national championship. Neither would come close to happening here with Mason in charge.

If you like mediocrity, sign the petiton to have him reinstated. BTW, it's a DIFFERENT college football world than it was years ago.

[ngineer]

Since you are there and we are here, you obviously have the 'on the ground information' about what Mason was all about; but, I find it curious that they just gave him a four year extension, and further find it odd they'd fire him over one meaningless bowl game..:confused:

[Gil Dobie]

The biggest problem with Mason was he didn't recruit Minnesota very well. All the top recruits go elsewhere. He is said to have diss'd many Minnesota High School coaches. He also had a losing record in the Big Ten. Lou Holtz was the best coach the Gophers have had since the 1960's Championships, but his contract loophole that allowed him to go to Notre Dame. As was said earlier, Mason won many of the easy non-conference games, and had a few upsets over the years, but was not great. The bowl loss to Texas Tech was the final straw.

[spelunker64]

Crap, there goes Bohl. Or if the goofers don't hire him, our recuiting edge in MN.