Thorr Bjorn

[MikeUMA]

WHY WAS THE THREAD MOVED HERE!!! Thorr has been specifically hired for FOOTBALL and belongs on the FOOTBAL subform!

My call.

I have no inside info but I would bet heavily that today's news is not the end of the road. I expect that this is the beginning of the end for Bamford and Thorr will succeed him as the full AD, hence it going into the general UM sports area.

[MikeUMA]

Minuteman Command with an early write-up on this
https://www.minutemancommand.com/p/umas ... hare=false

[MikeUMA]

UM's release
https://umassathletics.com/news/2025/11 ... c-director

Stream for the presser, tomorrow at 1:30
https://www.youtube.com/live/Zkc0bvtOka ... Kv6sQ2Cyeq

[69MG]

I saw a different take on this and I hope it's wrong. Someone on X speculated that Bamford brought Thorr in as a buffer and a way to keep his job. Thorr now runs the football operation and Bamford no longer gets the heat if the program sucks. If there is success, he gets credit for bringing in Thorr.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!

[cox'n]

I first met Thorr when he in the ticket office in the Cage. I had to get my hoops season ticket seating moved for upcoming season due to impending orthopedic surgery. Thorr was impressive in that he was both personable and professional. I was disappointed when he left for URI, but thrilled he's back. Thorr is a quality person.

[MikeUMA]

I saw a different take on this and I hope it's wrong. Someone on X speculated that Bamford brought Thorr in as a buffer and a way to keep his job. Thorr now runs the football operation and Bamford no longer gets the heat if the program sucks. If there is success, he gets credit for bringing in Thorr.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!

Quite possible. Bamford seems to have pulled the right strings for this long. And his bosses' track record of accepting it so far jives. If Thorr is able to turn UM football around, to some degree, and there's nowhere to go but up, it is plausible that Bam could claim it as a victory. That's really Bam's last possible chance at keeping his job.

[eldonabe]

I saw a different take on this and I hope it's wrong. Someone on X speculated that Bamford brought Thorr in as a buffer and a way to keep his job. Thorr now runs the football operation and Bamford no longer gets the heat if the program sucks. If there is success, he gets credit for bringing in Thorr.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!

Quite possible. Bamford seems to have pulled the right strings for this long. And his bosses' track record of accepting it so far jives. If Thorr is able to turn UM football around, to some degree, and there's nowhere to go but up, it is plausible that Bam could claim it as a victory. That's really Bam's last possible chance at keeping his job.

He should already be on his 10th last possible chance - he is the ultimate fucking Cockroach of Athletic Directors.

[inthescoop]

Okay we hired someone to "fix" the football team, but Bamford is still here. Seems to me that our administration is slapping a band-aid on an issue rather than actually being serious with change.

We clearly brought him on because we're desperate. Desperate enough to bring on a guy and pay him big money, with ZERO FBS experience.

[doubledribble]

I've known Thorr for years! Going back to when he played football at UMass, then asst. Ticket manager, Ticket mgr. to asst AD.

Great guy! His salary at URI was a bargain at $367K..Umass will probable double it.
A great hire for Umass.. too bad he wasn’t hired to be the AD.

Our FB program should drop down to the league URI is in.

https://www.golocalprov.com/sports/uri- ... -for-umass

[m626t]

a slightly different perspective

https://www.golocalprov.com/sports/uri- ... -for-umass

[TheInsider]

First off Thorr is a quality guy. But whats next?? An AD for Basketball?? Is there any bigger admittance that you are terrible at your job?? If I went to my boss and said I think we should spend X amount of money to hire someone to do part of my job, i would expect to get fired. Theres no way this was RB's idea.

[TheInsider]

WHY WAS THE THREAD MOVED HERE!!! Thorr has been specifically hired for FOOTBALL and belongs on the FOOTBAL subform!

Jeez dude, calm down.

He also, per the email we just got, is the "Chief Administrative Officer, helping Deputy AD/Chief Operating Officer Kirsten Britton and me (Ryan) oversee the daily functional management of the department."

She's also a problem.. Never heard an employee or coach that i've spoken too say a good word.

[MikeUMA]

a slightly different perspective
https://www.golocalprov.com/sports/uri- ... -for-umass

Is there a controversial take in there? I didn't see it.

Their point about Rhody MBB is entirely valid. Their falloff after Hurley is well known by us, as we fell off after Calipari. They were both coaches on the ascent and there was almost nowhere to go but down after they left.

[MikeUMA]

First off Thorr is a quality guy. But whats next?? An AD for Basketball?? Is there any bigger admittance that you are terrible at your job?? If I went to my boss and said I think we should spend X amount of money to hire someone to do part of my job, i would expect to get fired. Theres no way this was RB's idea.

This is what's going to make tomorrow's presser so interesting. Who's gonna be on the podium to talk about this?

I for one would love to see Marty Meehan get up there and show some of the system leadership that we've all been calling for. The required action to get this ship back on track is above Reyes at this point.

If it's just Bamford, that'll be another sign that UM administration just doesn't have the stones, or desire, to do what's necessary.

May also give a kidney if there's a reporter in the room who will show enough courage to ask the tough questions:
Who's decision was this?
How much of a role did Reyes, Meehan, etc have in this decision?
What does this say about your (Bamford) future?

[InnervisionsUMASS]

My take on this, which is based on reading the tea leaves and no insider info:

There is an exit strategy in place for Ryan, and hiring Thorr is the first step. We'll likely hear sometime in early 2026 (I predicted 2/15/26, get your guesses in) that Ryan will be leaving and Thorr taking over, with Ryan's exit in June. Thorr will take over as AD probably effective July 1st.



I don't think Thorr leaves URI to take a lower titled role, and he already has ~15 years as a MA employee so it's not a pension attaining situation. I also think the University and Ryan have likely come to a mutually agreed upon exit strategy and timing/buyout agreement, likely being a win-win for both him and the school. CHS said on his Twitter Spaces earlier today that he was flat out told this was a succession plan, and I trust him when he says that.


Could be wrong, of course, but not sure what else makes sense here. The pressure was well beyond mounting on Ryan, would it really be a surprise to find out there were talks to figure out moving on?