UMass hired Don Brown as its next head coach, returning him to the program he led more than a decade ago.
Brown, 66, is a Massachusetts native with deep New England roots. He spent the 2020 season as defensive coordinator at Arizona and has nearly 45 years of coaching experience that includes stops running the defenses at Michigan, Boston College, UConn, Maryland, Brown, Yale and Dartmouth.
He was head coach at Plymouth State (1993-95), Northeastern (2000-03) and UMass (2004-08), and led the Minutemen to the FCS title game in 2006.
“I am very pleased that we are able to bring Don and his family back to UMass. Coach Brown’s remarkable coaching expertise and familiarity with our program and the Northeast makes this a perfect fit,” athletic director Ryan Bamford said in a news release. “Don is a phenomenal recruiter, talent developer and connector. We will benefit from his football acumen, strong leadership qualities and his fierce intensity and desire to build our growing FBS program into a perennial winner.”
Contract terms were not announced.
Welcome home, Coach! #Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/2u0ZFm8JgM
— UMass Football (@UMassFootball) November 22, 2021
He had a 43-19 record at UMass, which moved to the FBS level in 2012. It was the best five-year stretch in program history in terms of wins.
“I am honored to return to Amherst and lead the football program at the University of Massachusetts again,” Brown said in the team release. “I promise to work tirelessly to make this program into something that our players, alumni and fans can be proud of. My focus will also be to develop our student-athletes so they can play at an elite level and achieve success.”
Brown replaces Walt Bell, who was fired earlier this month in his third season after a 2-23 record. The Minutemen are 1-10 this season.
–Field Level Media
