HOOVER, Ala. – Players are not the only ones who can use a disappointing and frustrating season as motivation. 
Following a 3-9 season in 2014, Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason enters his sophomore season with the Commodores determined to learn from his mistakes and move the program forward from the ground up. 
Mason sought to change the culture around the program in the offseason by instilling in the players a new mentality, making sure they are ready to compete in the Southeastern Conference. 
The focus of Mason’s approach is improving the ability of the Commodores to compete, which is what he said they failed to do in their winless conference campaign last season. 
“We sort of set about what we call the IT — TI factor on the West End, and that’s making sure that we’re relentless, we’re tough, and we’re intelligent,” Mason said. 
By embracing these ideals, Mason hopes to build a team that can physically and mentally compete in league play for all four quarters. 
Mason made several staff changes that he hopes will drastically change the outcome on the field, including taking over the defensive coordinator position himself.
One of the lessons Mason said he learned last season was the need for him to be directly in charge of the defense. 
“Late in the year as we moved through the season and I looked at our production, I felt like defensively we weren’t the type of football team that I foresaw coming into Vanderbilt,” Mason said.
After talking to coaches and interviewing guys, I felt like I didn’t want to speak through anybody to talk about what the structure of our defense was going to be.”
While Mason takes control of the defense, new offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig looks to transform an offense that finished last in the conference in total offense in 2014. 
Mason called Ludwig, “one of the brightest and really one of the most unique offensive coordinators in the country.” 
As members of an offense that averaged only 17.2 points per game, sophomore Ralph Webb and senior center Spencer Pulley both use last year as a fuel to improve this season. 
For Webb, who lead the Commodores with 907 total rushing yards and 75.6 yards per game last season, last year was a learning experience that he can improve on for this season. 
“What were my weaknesses? What were my strong points? I want to build off of the things I do pretty well to be great,” Webb said. “That is what we are doing with the program this year, just taking last season, looking at it—pros and cons—to use that as a building tool to help us be great this year.”
Although looking back on last season is difficult for him, Pulley said the team’s improvement this season comes down the players deciding that last season did not define them as a program. 
Together, Mason and company hope to prove that they can compete and excel in the SEC. 

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Emily Brauner

Vanderbilt head football coach, Derek Mason, answers questions during SEC Media Days on Monday, July 13, 2015 in Hoover, Alabama.