Vanderbilt Fires Head Coach Derek Mason Amid Winless Season


Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch will serve as the team's interim coach until a full-time replacement is named.

Vanderbilt has fired head coach Derek Mason with one game remaining on its schedule, the school announced Sunday.

Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch will serve as the team's interim coach until a full-time replacement is named. 

Vanderbilt is in the midst of a winless season, having lost all eight of its games this season. On Saturday, the Commodores lost 41–0 to Missouri, though the game saw the debut of kicker Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game.

“On behalf of the entire Vanderbilt community, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to coach Mason for his many years of dedication and service leading our football program,” athletic director Candice Storey Lee said in a statement. “Derek cares deeply about the student-athletes under his charge. His tenure at Vanderbilt will be remembered for his steadfast commitment to our student-athletes, not only on the field, but in the classroom and as young people.”

Mason came to Vanderbilt in 2014 after a successful stint as an assistant coach at Stanford. Throughout his tenure in Nashville, the school compiled a 27–55 record.

The Commodores conclude their season next Saturday against Georgia.