Vincent White Announces Three Defensive Coaching Staff Hires
1/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 15, 2003
Moraga, CA - Saint Mary's College head football coach Vincent White announced today the hiring of three coaches to his defensive staff. Derek Mason will take over as the team's defensive coordinator. Lance Anderson will be the team's defensive line coach, and Frank Robinson will coach the linebackers. Additionally, Jim McDermott will continue to serve as the Director of Football Operations for the Gaels' football team.
"We have definitely put together a defensive coaching staff that is very knowledgeable," commented White. "This group has a tremendous amount of experience and they understand what we want to do defensively. We will instill an up-tempo style defense, and the young men will love playing for these coaches."
Derek Mason, who was an assistant coach on the University of Utah staff with White, will be the Gaels' Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, and defensive backs coach. Mason comes to Saint Mary's following a one-year stint at Utah where he served as the wide receivers and special teams coach. At the conclusion of the 2002 season, two receivers, under his tutelage, ranked in the top 10 in receptions and yards per game in the Mountain West Conference. Additionally, the Utes led the MWC in kickoff return average at 23.0 yards per return.
Before moving to Utah, Mason coached the Bucknell wide receivers in 1999 and 2000 before crossing over to the secondary for the 2001 campaign. As receivers coach, he tutored freshman Jim Horan, whose 31 pass receptions in 1999 set a new Bucknell freshman record. In 2001, as the secondary coach, he worked with one of the best defenses in Division I-AA. The Bison finished fifth in the nation in total defense and 18th in pass efficiency defense. Cornerback Reed Tunison was a First Team All-Patriot League defender.
Mason began his coaching career as a high school defensive coordinator at Phoenix's Carl Hayden High in 1993. His next move was to the junior college level, where he spent one year coaching the receivers at Mesa Community College in 1994. At Mesa, he coached Daniel Jones, a unanimous first-team junior college All-American selection before he became an all-conference receiver for Utah as a senior in 1998.
From 1995-96, Mason coached the wide receivers at Weber State, including 1995 First Team All-American Pokey Eckford. In 1996, he coached three of the Big Sky Conference's top receivers in total number of catches. After Weber State, Mason went to Idaho State, where he coached the running backs and worked with the special teams from 1997-98. Mason has also served two NFL internships with the St. Louis Rams in 1996 and the New York Giants in 2000.
Mason did his undergraduate work at Northern Arizona and lettered four years for the football team, starting two years at defensive back. He also ran track at NAU. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from NAU in 1992. The 33-year-old Phoenix, Arizona native and his wife, Leighanne, have two daughters: Makenzie and Sydney.
Lance Anderson will make the transition from Bucknell University to Saint Mary's and will coach the Gaels' defensive line. Anderson coached in the same capacity at Bucknell for the past two seasons and was the Bison tight ends and offensive line coach in 1999 and 2000. Anderson coached nose guard Adam Lord to back-to-back First Team AFCA All-American honors in 2001 and 2002.
In two seasons as the defensive line coach Anderson helped the Bucknell defensive unit lead the Patriot League in total defense each year. In addition, the defense finished fifth in the nation in total defense in 2001. Last season the Bison defense finished 10th in the nation in rushing defense (99.4 ypg) and 17th in total defense (277.7 ypg). During his four years at Bucknell, Anderson coached five players to All-Patriot League honors.
Before his time at Bucknell, Anderson was the running backs and tight ends coach for the Mobile Admirals of the Regional Football League. In his one-year with the program, the team captured the league championship, he coached the league's leading rusher and Most Valuable Player. Prior to his work with the Admirals, Anderson served a two-year stint at Idaho State University. He began as the running backs coach in 1997 and moved to coach the tight ends in 1998.
A native of Rupert, Idaho, Anderson graduated from Idaho State with a bachelor's degree in Biology in 1996. While at Bucknell he began working on his master's degree in Education. Anderson is married to Sherri and the two have two children: a daughter, Aubrey, and a son, Jaren.
The third addition to the Saint Mary's defensive coaching staff is Frank Robinson. Robinson, who joins the coaching ranks for the first time in his career, will coach the linebackers. A former football player in the National Football League, Robinson was a member of the Denver Broncos from 1992-94 and Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995. Robinson also played one year with the Scottish Claymores and was a member of the World Football League championship team.
Robinson was a fifth round selection by the Broncos in 1993 following a successful career as a cornerback at Boise State. Robinson would go on to play three season for the Broncos before moving on to play for the Jaguars in 1995. Following his fourth year in the NFL, Robinson moved to the Scottish Claymores, where his team captured the World Bowl title in 1996.
Robinson has been working in the financial world for the past six years. Before coming to SMC, Robinson worked as a manager for Washington Mutual for one year. From 2000-02 he was a Branch Manager and Senior Personal Banker for U.S. Bank in Denver Colorado, and prior to that he was a Mortgage Broker for Dynamic International Funding.
Robinson is a 1992 graduate of Boise State University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources. He is currently working on his master's degree from the University of Phoenix in Colorado in Business Administration and is expected to complete the degree in May of 2003.
Jim McDermott will continue as the Director of Football Operations under Vincent White. McDermott served as the Director of Football Operations for one year under former coach Tim Landis. Additionally, he dedicated his time as a volunteer assistant coach in 2000 and 2001. McDermott graduated from Saint Mary's in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Economics. He was a member of the football team form 1979-82 and has been an intergral part of SMC football since then.
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