2020 Season

[econalum]

Seems that one of the OL coaches was fired.

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/sports/l ... 3a5ff.html.

[TruBluMaroon]

^Yes, he was......

Fight Massachusetts reports that the OL coached, Jim Jackson was canned last Friday. This just the start I think. UMass football has always been known as being a tough, physical, blue collar program and from what I saw last season and the first game was the opposite. I know they are young but UMass has had a lot young players who were physical in the past. I really think that offensive coordinator needs to go also.

Bell received a $25,000 pay raise this season per his contract, which is a joke of course for how poor the team played. He lost it due to the Covid reduction and some. How ridiculous is that he gets raises no matter how the team performs! In the "real world" we have EARN our raises...

https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/

[econalum]

Well, it will be interesting to see if he starts putting defeats on the backs of his staff, or not. Sorry for the re-post, had looked around a bit prior. Econ

[MJatUM]

Bell received a $25,000 pay raise this season per his contract, which is a joke of course for how poor the team played. He lost it due to the Covid reduction and some. How ridiculous is that he gets raises no matter how the team performs! In the "real world" we have EARN our raises...

https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/

My guess is that his pay raise was scheduled because they had to offer him less in the early years to offset buying out Whip (and DK). He was not given a raise based on merit - obviously.

[dennisdent]

Bell received a $25,000 pay raise this season per his contract, which is a joke of course for how poor the team played. He lost it due to the Covid reduction and some. How ridiculous is that he gets raises no matter how the team performs! In the "real world" we have EARN our raises...

https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/

My guess is that his pay raise was scheduled because they had to offer him less in the early years to offset buying out Whip (and DK). He was not given a raise based on merit - obviously.

That makes sense. Bell makes more then the Coastal head coach...

[Quann]

Coastal is getting some bang for that buck.

[dennisdent]

Agreed! And he took a pandemic pay cut also.

Can't believe Bell makes more then Frank Solich or the Buffalo head coach. People fought hard to increase the salary at the head coach position and what do we get...high school offensive coordinator.

[Quann]

I honestly don't have a problem with investing money in the HC of UMass FB. It's just that return on investment has been dismal so far.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I honestly don't have a problem with investing money in the HC of UMass FB. It's just that return on investment has been dismal so far.

Agreed. It may end up paying off, it may not. But they have to try.

[dennisdent]

It is a very competitive salary for a lower level FBS coach. To put it into perspective, the Maine head coach was making $150k when Bell was offered the job. I guarantee that it is at least double what the Holy Cross coach is getting, who I feel is a much better fit for this job. For the life of me, I'll never understand what Bamford saw/sees in Bell.

[Worcester_To_Amherst]

In hindsight, Chesney would have been the perfect hire. He seems to be everything Bamford hoped Bell would be. Even if they got rid of Bell, I can't see Chesney leaving HC for UMass. He's clearly a smart guy and would know his path to big time D1 coaching has a better route than going through Amherst.

[dennisdent]

In hindsight, Chesney would have been the perfect hire. He seems to be everything Bamford hoped Bell would be. Even if they got rid of Bell, I can't see Chesney leaving HC for UMass. He's clearly a smart guy and would know his path to big time D1 coaching has a better route than going through Amherst.

Totally agree on Chesney. The guy is a winner and I wonder if he knows what a mess UMass is and would rather build HC back and move on to, lets say a Syracuse or Pitt type program. He has a 68% winning percentage as a head coach over ten years! I watched some Holy Cross games the past two years and his team improved so much in such a short time. During the BC game, where they were getting blown out, he kept his starters in for almost the whole game. Bell would've been clearing his bench to get every one playing time. You could tell Chesney was trying to build a TEAM, while Bell just runs players out there for playing time. To me this shows the difference between an experienced head coach and untested, former bench warmer. Nothing wrong with a coach being a former bench warmer--if they've proven they can lead a program, which is something Bell has never done. Too bad our program is his training wheels...

[ZooMass84]

In hindsight, Chesney would have been the perfect hire. He seems to be everything Bamford hoped Bell would be. Even if they got rid of Bell, I can't see Chesney leaving HC for UMass. He's clearly a smart guy and would know his path to big time D1 coaching has a better route than going through Amherst.

Totally agree on Chesney. The guy is a winner and I wonder if he knows what a mess UMass is and would rather build HC back and move on to, lets say a Syracuse or Pitt type program. He has a 68% winning percentage as a head coach over ten years! I watched some Holy Cross games the past two years and his team improved so much in such a short time. During the BC game, where they were getting blown out, he kept his starters in for almost the whole game. Bell would've been clearing his bench to get every one playing time. You could tell Chesney was trying to build a TEAM, while Bell just runs players out there for playing time. To me this shows the difference between an experienced head coach and untested, former bench warmer. Nothing wrong with a coach being a former bench warmer--if they've proven they can lead a program, which is something Bell has never done. Too bad our program is his training wheels...

Amen!!!!!!! Been saying that we have been paying for OJT (on the job training) for Bell and his cronies. Apparently the big people in and around Mass state government don't mind keeping us in FBS. 9 years of unwatchable shitshow.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

9 years of unwatchable shitshow.

It's been watchable. I wish I've seen better results but it's been watchable.


All joking aside, UMass Football (and Basketball) will almost always been jobs that are only for OJT. We're a stepping stone. Until they hit on the right person that can be successful and finds UMass to be their home, it's always going to be like that. Bell might not (or won't be) that person, but it's hard to tell after what will likely amount to 1.25 seasons in.

[Upstate10]

@ FAU on 11/20 confirmed