Don Brown Begins His Fifth Season at Umass, He Has Led Umass to the Best Four-Year Span in School History
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Don Brown begins his fifth season at UMass, he has led UMass to the best four-year span in school history. Coaching STAFF Brown’s Coaching Honors Don • 2006 AFCA Region I Coach of the Year • 2006 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year • 2006 New England Writers Coach of the Year BROWN • 2006 Greater Boston Coach of the Year • 2002 AFCA Region I Coach of the Year HEAD COACH • 2002 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Fifth Year as UMass • 2002 New England Writers Coach of the Year Head Coach • 1995 Freedom Football Conf. Coach of the Year • 1994 Freedom Football Conf. Coach of the Year 12th Year as Head Coach • 1994 AFCA Region I Coach of the Year Norwich ‘77 • 1993 Freedom Football Conf. Coach of the Year Don Brown has continued UMass’ championship tradition CAA in scoring defense (19.2) and total defense (309.6 yards per in his four years as the Minutemen’s head coach. The Mas- game). That defense was anchored by Buchanan Award can- sachusetts native has led the Maroon & White to back- didate and All-American Jason Hatchell along with six other to-back conference titles and consecutive NCAA Tour- All-Conference selections including first-teammers David nament appearances. Over the last two years, UMass is Burris, Courtney Robinson, Sean Smalls and Charles Walker. undefeated at home (14-0), while posting a 23-5 overall On the offensive side, UMass had a first-team All- record and a 15-1 conference record. Brown has coached American on the line in Matt Austin. He was joined by 37 all-conference selections over the last two years, by All-CAA picks in quarterback Liam Coen, tailback Matt far the most of any coach in the league. Lawrence, receivers J.J. Moore and Rasheed Rancher as UMass’ 36 wins over the last four years under well as linemen Sean Calicchio and Nick Diana. Brown equal the best four-year span in UMass pro- Coen, who was a Walter Payton Award candidate, gram history. continued to set nearly every UMass passing record. In Brown was named the 27th head coach in 2007, he became the school’s all-time leader in passing the 125-year history of the UMass football pro- yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns. gram on February 9, 2004. Brown returned to UMass had eight players in NFL training camps in UMass after four seasons as the head coach at 2008 including recent grads Lawrence with the Northeastern University. Recognized as one of Chicago Bears, Brad Listorti with the Atlanta the top defensive minds in college football, he Falcons and Breyone Evans with the Carolina previously served as defensive coordinator for the Panthers. Minutemen during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. He The 2006 season was one to remember for played a key role in the 1998 NCAA Championship. Brown. Brown led UMass to the national champion- Brown has a 88-40 (.688) career mark, includ- ship game after capturing the Atlantic 10 Champi- ing a 36-14 (.720) mark in his four seasons at the onship with a perfect 8-0 record, becoming the first helm of UMass. He coached his 100th career game undefeated conference team since Villanova in in the 2005 regular-season finale at Hofstra. 1997. UMass tied the school record for wins in a Brown heads into the 2008 season tied for third season with a 13-2 record and set a school-mark for in career wins in UMass history with 36. He is be- wins in a row with 12. The Minutemen finished the hind Vic Fusia (59) and Dick MacPherson (45). Brown season ranked No. 2 in the nation. is tied at 36 with Bob Pickett and Jim Reid entering UMass also set a school record for wins at home, the season. With his .720 win percentage, he is eas- going a perfect 8-0 at McGuirk Stadium. That came ily the school’s winningest coach in terms of career along with record crowds as close to 12,000 fans percentage. came out each game. UMass had its first sellout Coming off the 2006 NCAA Championship game since 1973 when 17,000 packed McGuirk for the appearance, the 2007 campaign was another historic New Hampshire playoff game on Dec. 2, 2006. one for the Minutemen, as UMass went 10-3 in cap- Brown was recognized nationally and region- turing the first-ever CAA Football Championship with ally for the team’s accomplishments. He was named a 7-1 league mark. It was the 22nd overall confer- the 2006 AFCA Region I Coach of the Year, 2006 ence crown in UMass history, the most of any team in Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and 2006 New En- league annals. UMass finished ranked No. 6 in the gland Football Coach of the Year. In leading UMass Coaches poll and No. 7 in the Sports Network Media to the 2006 A-10 crown, Brown became the second poll after reaching the NCAA Quarterfinals. coach to win the A-10 title with two teams leading UMass continued to show its well-rounded the Minutemen to the crown this year after his title team in 2007 as the Minutemen set a school record at Northeastern in 2002. Jim Reid was the first coach for total offense per game with more than 400 to do so at UMass and Richmond. Brown coached a con- yards per contest. The Minutemen also led the ference record 20 Atlantic 10 selections in 2006 in lead- Brown’s Year-By-Year Head Coaching Record Overall Conf. Conf. Year School Record Pct. Record Pct. Place Accomplishments 1993 Plymouth State 6-4 .600 5-1 .857 2nd 1994 Plymouth State 10-1 .909 6-0 1.000 1st NCAA Division III Quarterfinals/ Freedom Conference Champions 1995 Plymouth State 9-1 .900 7-0 1.000 1st NCAA Division III First Round/ Freedom Conference Champions 2000 Northeastern 4-7 .364 1-7 .125 10th 2001 Northeastern 5-6 .455 4-5 .444 6th Don Brown has 2002 Northeastern 10-3 .769 7-1 .875 1st NCAA Division I-AA First Round/ coached UMass to Atlantic 10 Conference Champions back-to-back 2003 Northeastern 8-4 .667 6-3 .667 3rd conference titles. 2004 MASSACHUSETTS 6-5 .556 4-4 .500 2nd 2005 MASSACHUSETTS 7-4 .636 6-2 .750 2nd 2006 MASSACHUSETTS 13-2 .867 8-0 1.000 1st NCAA FCS Championship Game/ Atlantic 10 Conference Champions 2007 MASSACHUSETTS 10-3 .769 7-1 .875 1st NCAA FCS Quarterfinals/CAA Champions Career 11 Years 88-40 .688 61-24 .718 Five Conference Titles/Five NCAA Berths 32 Coaching STAFF Brown led the Minutemen to a 6-5 record winning four of the Brown’s Collegiate Coaching File last five games. UMass’ late-season run elevated them to a sec- Years School Assignment ond place finish in the Atlantic 10’s North Division. Included in 1982 Dartmouth Assistant Coach the 4-1 stretch to close out the season was a 26-22 win at North- 1983 Mansfield Assistant Coach eastern, which was an emotional game for Brown, as he had 1984-86 Dartmouth Defensive Coordinator recruited nearly every player on the Huskies’ roster. The Min- 1987-92 Yale Defensive Coordinator utemen knocked off three teams ranked in the top 20 during the 1993-95 Plymouth State Head Coach 1996-97 Brown Defensive Coordinator season including No. 4 Colgate, No. 7 New Hampshire and No. 19 1998-99 Massachusetts Defensive Coordinator Maine. The win over UNH, was the 500th win in UMass football 2000-03 Northeastern Head Coach history 2004-Pres. Massachusetts Head Coach Under Brown’s guidance, James was named a consensus first-team All-American and Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of Year as well as being a finalist for the Buchanan Award. James led the ing the Minutemen to the title game. UMass featured five All- nation in interceptions as a junior and finished his career in 2005 Americans in guard Austin, tailback Steve Baylark, linebacker with more interceptions than any player in the nation at the Hatchell, safety James Ihedigbo and center Alex time. The Minutemen led the Atlantic 10 in pass efficiency de- Miller. Baylark made history as he became fense while the offensive line led the country in fewest sacks just the third player in I-AA/FCS to rush for allowed per pass attempt (giving up nine on 344 pass attempts) more then 1,000 yards in four different sea- as Baylark led the conference in rushing. sons with Austin, Miller and All-Conference Over his four seasons at Northeastern (2000-03), Brown guard David Thompson blocking for him. led a total transformation of the Huskies’ program. After tak- A defensive mastermind and architect ing over a team coming off a 2-9 record, with just two winning of the defense that led UMass to the 1998 seasons in the previous 12 before his arrival, Brown led North- National Championship, the 2006 UMass eastern to a 27-20 mark during his four seasons. The Hus- team led the nation in scoring defense kies posted winning records each of his last two seasons, until the final game, finishing fifth, giv- going a combined 18-7 during that two-year span, and made ing up just 13.3 points per game. UMass the program’s first-ever NCAA playoff appearance. ranked in the top three in the confer- During the 2003 season, Brown led Northeastern to ence in six major defensive categories, an overall record of 8-4, and a third-place finish in the leading in pass efficiency defense and net Atlantic 10 Conference with a 6-3 mark in league punting.