UMass hires Don Brown for second stint as head coach

Published Nov. 22, 2021 12:19 p.m. ET

Associated Press

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — UMass is bringing back Don Brown as head coach in the hopes that the struggling football program can return to the time of its greatest success.

Brown led the Minutemen to a 43-19 record in the Football Championship Subdivision from 2004-08. Since moving up to the FBS in 2012, UMass has gone 20-91 and never had a winning season.

“Coach Brown’s remarkable coaching expertise and familiarity with our program and the Northeast makes this a perfect fit,” athletic director Ryan Bamford said. “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.”

Brown has spent the last 13 years as a defensive coordinator for major programs, most recently at Arizona. He previously worked at Maryland, UConn, Boston College and Michigan. Over the last 10 years, 29 of his players have been drafted by the NFL.

Brown has a 94-45 record as a head coach at UMass, Plymouth State and Northeastern, with five conference championships and six playoff appearances.

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