Coach Joe Harasymiak

[inthescoop]

Some updates to our coaching staff.. these hires are looking really impressive for UMass, I gotta say!

UMass also hired Kurt Anderson to coach the team’s offensive line. Anderson served as Northwestern’s offensive line coach for six seasons.
At Northwestern, Anderson helped develop a pair of first-round NFL Draft picks in Peter Skoronski (2023) and Rashawn Slater (2021). Skoronski became the first unanimous First-Team All-American in Northwestern history, while earning Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, the Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and the Outland Trophy in 2022. Before his time with the Wildcats, Anderson spent two years at Arkansas – also coaching the Razorbacks offensive line. Anderson mentored first-round NFL Draft pick and All-SEC offensive lineman Frank Ragnow. Prior to his time at Arkansas, Anderson spent three seasons with the Buffalo Bills as an assistant offensive line coach.

Lastly, following the departure of defensive backs coach Tre’ Bell, UMass hired Donald Celiscar as his replacement. Celiscar comes over from another MAC school, Western Michigan, where he was coaching the Broncos’ secondary for three years.

https://www.gazettenet.com/UMass-footba ... e-58929595

[Rolling Ridge]

This is the one I've been waiting for. Jared Keyte named new Defensive Coordinator. He has long connections with Coach Joe. I'm excited.

https://umassathletics.com/news/2025/1/ ... s-football

[UMass1991]

This is the one I've been waiting for. Jared Keyte named new Defensive Coordinator. He has long connections with Coach Joe. I'm excited.

https://umassathletics.com/news/2025/1/ ... s-football

Just curious… why?

[Rolling Ridge]

This is the one I've been waiting for. Jared Keyte named new Defensive Coordinator. He has long connections with Coach Joe. I'm excited.

https://umassathletics.com/news/2025/1/ ... s-football

Just curious… why?

Why what? Why was this this the coaching announcement I was waiting for? I guess because DC is an important spot to fill in the coaching staff and I was hopeful that Harasymiak would not do as previous coaches have done and handled the chores of their specialty area themselves. He said he'd get a DC, and I'm happy he got one.

Why Keyte? I guess I'm excited because he seems to have had success at a variety of lower-level defensive coaching positions in different organizations and has experience working with Coach Harasymiak. If we trust Harasymiak to make good hires, this looks like a good one to me. He may make some rookie mistakes as a first-time coordinator, but this is the type of person who will eventually get a shot as a DC somewhere. To me, it might as well be here, especially if he has significant upside. He has the experience and his connections and working relationship with Harasymiak will hopefully help him grow into the position. I'm excited to see what he can do.

[Sheck]

The Athletic gave grades for all 27 FBS coaching hires. Here's ours:

UMass (B): Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak
The 38-year-old New Jersey native has spent most of his career in the Northeast, including three seasons (2016-18) as the head
coach at Maine, which he took the FCS semifinals. He’s walking into a tough job as UMass joins the MAC.

[inthescoop]

Bowling Green HC leaves program to become the Eagles QB coach.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... job-eagles

That sounds like a solid reference point .. a MAC HC in college football is about the same talent as being a QB coach in the NFL.. you're on that same tier. Other tiers would possibly be: ACC HC = NFL OC .. SEC HC = NFL HC?

[UMassNet15]

Some updates to our coaching staff.. these hires are looking really impressive for UMass, I gotta say!

UMass also hired Kurt Anderson to coach the team’s offensive line. Anderson served as Northwestern’s offensive line coach for six seasons.
At Northwestern, Anderson helped develop a pair of first-round NFL Draft picks in Peter Skoronski (2023) and Rashawn Slater (2021). Skoronski became the first unanimous First-Team All-American in Northwestern history, while earning Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, the Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and the Outland Trophy in 2022. Before his time with the Wildcats, Anderson spent two years at Arkansas – also coaching the Razorbacks offensive line. Anderson mentored first-round NFL Draft pick and All-SEC offensive lineman Frank Ragnow. Prior to his time at Arkansas, Anderson spent three seasons with the Buffalo Bills as an assistant offensive line coach.

Lastly, following the departure of defensive backs coach Tre’ Bell, UMass hired Donald Celiscar as his replacement. Celiscar comes over from another MAC school, Western Michigan, where he was coaching the Broncos’ secondary for three years.

https://www.gazettenet.com/UMass-footba ... e-58929595

For what it's worth, Molnar had some impressive talent on his staff... so experience isn't everything, but hopefully it helps this time round. I also have to remind folks, money doesn't solve everything either. Remember, we paid Molnar pretty well for a MAC coach with 0 experience... nearly double what PJ Fleck got at WMU... and I think they started the same year. Also, our staff salaries was right in the middle of the MAC... buyer beware I guess...

[jjmc85]

Seat has to be warming up. If there isn’t massive improvement the first month or so of the 2026 season, I’d fire him.

[runner_bric]

Seat has to be warming up. If there isn’t massive improvement the first month or so of the 2026 season, I’d fire him.

Does the school have enough money to pay the buyout? Might be stuck with him even if no improvement.

[inthescoop]

Seat has to be warming up. If there isn’t massive improvement the first month or so of the 2026 season, I’d fire him.

Won’t happen, Thorr went on a huge rant during the press conference how he’s learned his lesson in the past and doesn’t believe in firing coaches early

It was the only time Joe seemed dialed in on what was being said by Thorr and Bamford

[Sheck]

This is a coaching graveyard. We are not getting anyone better than Coach Joe. He needs to be given more time and more administrative support.

[Juice Stand]

^Perfectly stated, Sheck. The results have been dismal, all-time bad for a program that is a heat seeking missile for new lows, but who are you going to get that's better? I liked the hire when it happened, and I'm not going to move on from him after one year. He needs to look for some new assistants, specifically the OC, but I'm perfectly fine with giving him more time.

[MakeMullinsGreatAgain]

This is a coaching graveyard. We are not getting anyone better than Coach Joe. He needs to be given more time and more administrative support.

agree! Joe was FCS Coach of the Year at Maine and had success at Minnesota and Rutgers in his defensive coaching positions, so he knows how to coach - what happened this year is just crazy. I know they have had a lot of injuries, but they were healthy when they lost to Bryant and we all know what happened vs Buffalo so something isn't right. Have the players quit? Have some of the coaches packed it in like Wiggy on WEEI stated the other day? There's some merit to what Wiggy is saying - with two kids on the team - they see everything and I'm sure they tell him whats going on behind the scenes. I'm all for giving Joe another year but I don't know how many coaches survive 0-12 and it's a really bad 0-12 in the sense that they are getting blown out every week, so it wouldn't be a shock if he gets let go.

[Quann]

It should never look this bad and I lay the play on the field 100% on the head coach. Figure it the fuck out Coach H, this is what you are here to do. Lead the fucking program, I don’t want to hear about injuries, that is pathetic loser talk.

[Quann]

Seat has to be warming up. If there isn’t massive improvement the first month or so of the 2026 season, I’d fire him.

Won’t happen, Thorr went on a huge rant during the press conference how he’s learned his lesson in the past and doesn’t believe in firing coaches early

It was the only time Joe seemed dialed in on what was being said by Thorr and Bamford

He doesn’t warrant another year after the play this year but you have to give him another one because you can’t just keep firing coaches. Only way you would is if Thorr had someone that he really wanted to bring in to reset this program (again). At that point you have a press conference by Thorr announcing the firings of Bamford and Coach Joe at the same time.