NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt has extended the contracts of football head coach Derek Mason, men’s golf head coach Scott Limbaugh and bowling head coach John Williamson, as announced Friday by Vanderbilt vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletics director Malcolm Turner.
“We are excited to keep Derek, John and Scott on West End for years to come,” said Turner. “Their leadership remains vital to building Vanderbilt’s consistent level of success. We look forward to continuing to find additional ways to help grow and support these and all of our varsity programs as we compete for championships.”
Mason has solidified the foundation of Vanderbilt football in his five seasons on West End. In 2018, Mason became just the second Vanderbilt coach to lead the program to multiple bowl games, reaching the Commodores’ second bowl in three seasons with their appearance in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl last December.
Last fall, Vanderbilt beat rival Tennessee for the third straight time and fifth in seven tries. The latest victory marked the Dores’ first three-game win streak over the Volunteers since 1923-26.
In 2018, Vanderbilt placed four Commodores on the Associated Press All-SEC team under Mason: wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb, tight end Jared Pinkney, running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and cornerback Joejuan Williams. Vanderbilt’s all-time leading passer, quarterback Kyle Shurmur, and all-time leading rusher, running back Ralph Webb, have etched their spot in Commodore record books during Mason’s tenure on West End.
Mason had a third linebacker in as many seasons selected in the NFL Draft last April, when the Green Bay Packers tabbed captain Oren Burks with the 88th overall pick.
Seven of Mason’s Vanderbilt seniors signed rookie free agent contracts with NFL teams ahead of the 2018 season.
Limbaugh, now in his eighth season in charge of the men’s golf program, has lifted the Commodore to new heights. Limbaugh has mentored four first-team All-Americans, four Palmer Cup selections, one Walker Cup member and 13 combined All-America selections, all while also garnering six consecutive NCAA Regional bids and five consecutive NCAA Championship appearances for the first time in program history.
In 2017, Vanderbilt won the SEC Championships for the first time in school history as Limbaugh became the program’s only SEC Coach of the Year.
Under Limbaugh, Vanderbilt has won 21 tournaments — the most by a head coach in Vanderbilt history — and garnered 16 individual tournament winners. The coach has also led Vanderbilt to a first-place (2017), second-place (2015) and fourth-place (2016) finish in the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championships, NCAA match play appearances in 2015 and 2016, and a semifinal appearance at the 2017 NCAA Championships. Two of Limbaugh’s Vanderbilt products have participated in a PGA Tour event — Hunter Stewart in 2014 at the RBC Heritage and Matthias Schwab at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2017.
Limbaugh was selected to coach the United States at the 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Williamson has established Vanderbilt among the premier bowling programs in college athletics. In his 15th campaign since starting the program ahead of the 2004-05 season, Williamson has won two NCAA titles (2007, 2018) — the most of any Vanderbilt coach — and has two NCAA runner-up finishes. Under Williamson, the Commodores have reached 13 straight NCAA Tournaments and have won two Southland Bowling Leagues titles (2015, 2017). Vanderbilt boasts a nation-leading 13 first-team All-Americans and six NTCA Rookies of the Years in its history, all under Williamson.
In 2007, Williamson was named NCAA Coach of the Year, and he has twice been named Vanderbilt Coach of the Year.
