Vanderbilt Commodores

Mason replacing Vanderbilt's coordinators after 3-9 season

Published Dec. 28, 2019 7:28 p.m. ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason will be hiring new coordinators after the Commodores went 3-9 this season.

Mason said in a statement Saturday that the process had started to replace offensive coordinator Gerry Gdowski and defensive coordinator Jason Tarver.

“I'd like to express my appreciation of the commitment and sacrifices that Gerry and Jason made to this program and our student-athletes,” Mason said in a statement.

Gdowski had been with Mason since 2014 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in February. Vanderbilt ranked No. 123 out of 130 FBS teams in total offense, averaging 299.3 yards despite having running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn, receiver Kalija Lipscomb and tight end Jared Pinkney back this season.

Vanderbilt ranked 125th in scoring, with just 16.5 points a game.

Tarver was defensive coordinator the past two seasons, hired after spending the previous three seasons in the NFL with San Francisco. Tarver had been co-defensive coordinator with Mason in 2011 at Stanford. The Commodores ranked 96th nationally this season in points allowed, giving up 31.8 points a game. They gave up 436.6 yards per game, 100th in the country.

Mason got a reprieve for his own job in late November when first-year athletic director Malcolm Turner announced he was keeping Mason as head coach.

The Tennessean first reported Mason's coordinator moves.

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