Gopher Football
The news comes two days after the Gophers blew a 31 point lead in a 44-41 loss to Texas Tech in the insight bowl. The loss was the 4th time in 7 years that a Mason-coached Gopher team had blown a 21 point lead. What makes this news somewhat unexpected is the fact that Mason was signed to a contract extension at the end of last season, which would have kept him here several more years.
Ahtletics director Joel Maturi held a press conference late Sunday afternoon in which he announced the firing. Some of the points Mauturi made were:
– The decision to fire Mason was made last night after Maturi met with University president Robert Bruininks.
– The primary move for the decision was to create a New Vision, a New Voice, and New Leadership for Golden Gopher football.
– Maturi said that he felt that giving Mason a contract extension at the end of last season was the right decision at that time, but that developments this season changed his mind.
– He said that he was happy with the way the team finished the season, but it was clear he thought the team under performed through out the year (the team finished 3-5 in the Big Ten). The deicision to fire the coach was based primarly on the way the Gophers lost the Insight Bowl.
– He acknowledged that the program is in better shape than it was 10 years ago when Mason took over, and said he respects Mason and hopes to remain friends.
– Maturi said that a good nucleus of players return and he expects to be competitive next year.
– The search will begin immediately and Maturi himself will be the person responsible for the decision.
After Mason took the job in 1997, it took only two seasons (in 1998) for him to get the Gophers to the verge of a bowl game, but a tough loss 20-19 loss (featuring 4 missed kicks) against Indiana in the second to last game did the Gophers in as they finished the season 5-6. In 1999 however Mason put the Gophers on the map, finishing the season at 8-3, with those 3 losses coming by a total of just 11 points. The Gophers rose as high as #12 in the polls by the end of that year, yet despite the great regular season the Gophers were upset by Oregon in the Sun Bowl. The level of play the Gophers showed in 1999 was never topped.
Mason leaves the Gophers with a career 64-57 record, but just a 32-48 (.400 winning %) record in Big Ten play. He will be remembered as the architect of a record breaking rushing offense, and that his teams have rushed and passed for 2000 yards 8 years in a row (currently the longest streak in the nation). But what he also will be remembered for, and what also led to his demise, was that he almost could never put together a legitimate defense to go along with that great offense. 1999 (and possibly 1998) was the only season where a Mason coached Gopher team had a defense that was in the top half of the Big Ten. That consistently porous defense offset the record breaking production of the offense, and really prevented Minnesota from ever becoming more than a middle of the pack Big Ten team.
What Mason also will be remembered for was getting the Gophers out of the Gutekunst ““ Wacker doldrums that they were in from 1988 to the time he was hired in 1997. In the 9 seasons before Mason arrived the Gophers won 0 or 1 Big Ten games in five of those seasons, and the only time this happened since Mason has become coach was his first season in 1997.
Talk about the firing of Glen Mason on the Gopher Football Message Board.