By Mike Huesmann
The second Don Brown stint at UMass has ended in its third season. In this stint, Dr. Blitz only won six games, though the Minutemen did show flashes of competitiveness. This was a tough situation. Brown took over a nightmare after Walt Bell and never really had a chance to turn it around considering the lack of resources and NIL capabilities. I’m not sure I’d have let him go so soon, though it certainly wasn’t going to get better overnight. Here are five options for UMass.
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1859363634868039950
Joe Harasymiak
Rutgers, Defensive Coordinator
A proven head coach at the FCS level, Joe Harasymiak was the head coach at Maine, leading them to a semifinal appearance in the playoffs before leaving for Minnesota in 2019. After spending three years with PJ Fleck, the last two as co-defensive coordinator, he moved to Rutgers and the DC job with Greg Schiano. His name has been mentioned for multiple G5 head coaching jobs. He knows New England well and is an alumnus of nearby Springfield College.
https://twitter.com/SSN_UMass/status/1859993674706452964
Neal Brown
West Virginia, Head Coach
Something has to give for this to happen. Neal Brown is employed at a bigger school now, but he was firmly on the hot seat in 2023 and won 9 games. The Mountaineers have been a solid team the last season and a half, but that hot seat doesn’t cool down completely. WVU is 5-5 this year, and if they regress or don’t make a bowl game this year, Brown could be back on the hot seat. He is a UMass alumnus and would be an immediate call if he becomes available.
https://twitter.com/ryanandrushshow/status/1860033725767254515
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Aazaar Abdul-Rahim
Maryland, Co-DC/DB coach
A former UMass DC in 2019, Aazaar Adbul-Rahim is in his second stint with Mike Locksley at Maryland. The former Alabama and Boston College assistant first made a name for himself as a successful head coach in the Washington D.C. area, a path similar to that of the recently fired Biff Poggi. Abdul-Rahim is a successful recruiter who has moved up the ranks relatively quickly and has the tools to succeed as an FBS head coach.
https://twitter.com/mzenitz/status/1743329927972180365
Nunzio Campanile
Syracuse, QB Coach
Nunzio Campanile spent part of last season as the interim head coach after Dino Babers was let go. His first season at Syracuse was 2023; before that, he spent 4 seasons at Rutgers, where he first was interim HC at one point. Prior to collegiate coaching, Campanile was the head coach of prep power Bergen Catholic in New Jersey. His connections in the NY, NJ, and PA areas make him a very interesting candidate for this job.
https://twitter.com/RivalsRichie/status/1858550865843372412
Al Washington
Notre Dame, DL Coach
Al Washington is a Boston College alumnus who has coached in Massachusetts for multiple seasons. He was a hot name for multiple head coaching jobs last offseason but didn’t get one. UMass might want someone with a background in New England or at an academically intense school, and Washington has both. He has coached at Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame in recent years. Washington has tutored many players at both DL and LB over his career who have gone on to the NFL.
https://twitter.com/LucciAntonini/status/1850202165798695418
