Glorified Glen Mason??? Mason had a much more impressive career than Dinardo dreamed of having. He brought back Kansas from the dead to beat UCLA 55-7 in Bowl game. He then accepted the Georgia job, then changed his mind and went back to Kansas (big mistake).
Mason, a year later, went back to Minnesota and came close to bringing Minnesota all the way back from the dead. He fell a little short in a very uphill battle.
The back breaking Michigan game where a 28-7 lead was blown in 2003 (and the the 38-7 blown lead vs Texas Tech 3 years later) cost him dearly.
He still won a lot more than old man Gerry ever did. Or at least he took over two doormat programs and put them close to the top. If he had been able to keep the current DC at NU, who he had worked with at Kansas with him in MInnesota the story would have been different.