Featured Photo by Brett Walker
Story by Brett Walker
Middle Tennessee State University and new head football coach Derek Mason agreed to a five-year deal last Thursday, according to the Daily News Journal.
Mason receives a base salary of $925,000 per year. The deal runs from the date of his hiring in December 2023 to December 2028. The veteran coach makes $75,000 annually for university requested media appearances, which is separate from his base salary, according to the Daily News Journal.
MTSU Sidelines contacted the university for a copy of the contract.
The contract included various incentives for team performance, such as a $10,000 bonus if MTSU reaches the Conference USA championship game and an added $10,000 if the Blue Raiders win the CUSA championship. Mason also receives $15,000 if MTSU makes a non-postseason bowl game with $5,000 tacked on if they win. He is eligible for a $5,000 bonus if he is named CUSA coach of the year.
More lucrative incentives include a $15,000 bonus if Mason wins a national coaching award, a $35,000 bonus if MTSU is ranked in the top 25 in either the final Associated Press or College Football Playoff poll, $75,000 for making the College Football Playoff and $100,000 for winning the national championship.
The bulk of the incentives are designed to be attainable for Mason within his first contract at MTSU. The university hired Mason after 18 seasons with Rick Stockstill at the helm. Despite the incentives, Mason’s contract differs in one aspect from that of the last head coach.
MTSU crafted Stockstill’s contract to offer extensions as an incentive. Every year that the former coach finished with a record above .500, he received a one-year extension, which is not the case in Mason’s contract.
Mason’s contract makes him the highest paid employee by the university but is comparable to opposing coaches in CUSA. The head coach of top rival Western Kentucky, Tyson Helton, receives roughly $900,000 annually, according to USA Today. The coach of reigning champion Liberty Flames earns $4 million annually as part of his seven-year deal, according to CBS Sports.
With Mason’s deal done, all eyes are on MTSU football’s new era and first game as they prepare to face Tennessee Tech Saturday.
Brett Walker is the sports editor for MTSU Sidelines
To contact the Sports and Assistant Sports Editor, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com
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