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Spring 2004

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A Coach's Homecoming
After a record-breaking season, Whipple passes the pigskin to Don Brown

—Leslie Wolfe ’80G




	UMass Amherst football, homecoming 2004. (photo by Ben Barnhart)

THE UMASS AMHERST FOOTBALL TEAM had a stellar 2003 season: A 10–3 record. Its 19th Atlantic 10 Conference championship. Its sixth NCAA playoff appearance. Enough individual and team records to fill several pages. Yet at season’s end the program faced the tough questions: Who would be the new head coach? and would the program remain in NCAA Division I-AA?

When head coach Mark Whipple announced in January that he had taken a job with the Pittsburgh Steelers as quarterback coach, no one was surprised; it was a good career move. In his six seasons at UMass, he compiled a 49-26 record, led the team to three NCAA playoffs, and, in 1998, to the national championship—the first ever for the program. Hard shoes to fill.

There were plenty of qualified applicants for the position but one snag: the university athletic department was operating with an interim director. The administration wanted to fill that post first.

On February 4th, UMass announced the hiring of John F. McCutcheon as A.D. (See story, page 13.) With McCutcheon on board, the hiring committee chose Don Brown, a long-time protégé of Whipple. Coach Brown had been Whipple’s defensive coordinator at both Brown University and for the 1998 and 1999 seasons at UMass; he was a key factor in bringing home the national crown. He had also been head coach at Northeastern University, turning around a losing program and leading the team to its first-ever NCAA playoff.

Brown is excited about returning to UMass: “I was part of 21 wins in two years here as defensive coordinator, and I just hope we can recapture that magic with me as head coach.”

Defensive back James Ihedigbo ’07 (son of UMass alums Rose ’85, ’86G and Apollos ’82G, ’87G Ihedigbo), says the team is equally excited about Brown. “So far he’s been more than what I expected. He’s a great leader and a great teacher. He knows what he wants to do with our program and our football team, and he’s been very clear in getting that across.”

With Brown, 2002 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, at the helm, UMass football fans have cause for celebration. And the Division I-A question has been put to rest too.

Last fall a consulting team was hired to study the feasibility of promoting UMass football to I-A status solely with private funding. In its report released last December, the consultants concluded that the sum needed—approximately $125 million over a 5-year period (including $70 million for facilities)—could not be raised from private donors. Hurdles to funding included the national economic recession, the reluctance of donors to fund the initiative alone without some contribution from the Commonwealth, and a lack of consensus on the need for a top-level program.

Coach Brown is content with the way things are right now. “UMass Amherst is one of the top 10 programs in the country. The powers that be have made the decision that this is where we should be for now. In the next two years, if the climate has changed, we’ll take a close hard look at it, and if the decision is to make the jump, I’d be all for that as well.”

For McCutcheon, the study validated the current football program. With the Division 1-A question behind us, he says, “We’re committed to being the most competitive Division I-AA team we can be.”

SWEET SEPTEMBER
Minutemen football kicks off the season with three games at home. For a full schedule, visit www.umassathletics.com.

Payback Time Sept. 11: Colgate
The Raiders advanced to the 2003 Division 1-AA championship game after eliminating UMass from the playoffs in the first round. It’s high time to return the favor.

Strike up the Band Sept. 18: Richmond
You won’t want to miss the half-time show—thousands of high school musicians take the field on the 19th
anniversary of Band Day.

Hen-Pecked Sept. 25: Delaware
The Blue Hens won the division championship last year, after defeating the Minutemen 51-45 in triple overtime during regular season play. Feathers are sure to fly during this match-up.

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