Coach Mike Leflar

[Juice Stand]

...I'm not sure he's ACC ready though.

I'm not sure Boston College is either...

I hope he sticks around for a while longer. Leflar and Carvel are the glimmers of light in this pitiful athletic department.

[MikeUMA]

Extended through the 2030-31 season.
https://umassathletics.com/news/2026/3/ ... -extension

This is one Bamford decision I'm good with. He should still get canned, but that's a different topic.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I like Mike, so this isn't a shot at him... he seems solid and so far so good with the progress of the program under his leadership....

... but is it the UMass policy to just provide extensions after any good season? I'm obviously exaggerating a bit, but it just feels like we hand these things out like pieces of candy. They also all seem to have terrible terms related to firing the coach vs extremely favorable terms if the coach walks away. Who writes these?

[m626t]

Looks like it's the way the Ath. Dept. tries to keep the larger programs from poaching our decent younger coaches. (FM doesn't seem to fit this exact profile, however.)

[Rolling Ridge]

Looks like it's the way the Ath. Dept. tries to keep the larger programs from poaching our decent younger coaches.

In this case, I think this is 100% correct and that UMass was acting proactively to keep a coach they really want to hang onto. Personally, I applaud the administration for this move.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Looks like it's the way the Ath. Dept. tries to keep the larger programs from poaching our decent younger coaches.

In this case, I think this is 100% correct and that UMass was acting proactively to keep a coach they really want to hang onto. Personally, I applaud the administration for this move.

Right, and great!

But didn't they do the same thing with Frank after 23-24? And Tory? And maybe McCall? Tory left us - cant recall the details but I'm sure the penalty $ back to UMass for him leaving us made sense vs if we had fired him without cause.

[Rolling Ridge]

But didn't they do the same thing with Frank after 23-24? And Tory? And maybe McCall? Tory left us - cant recall the details but I'm sure the penalty $ back to UMass for him leaving us made sense vs if we had fired him without cause.

I don't know enough about college coaching contracts to say whether ours differ substantially from what other institutions are doing in terms of buyouts or compensation for termination. I'm fairly confident that UMass consults with those who know what is "standard" language in contracts like these. Given how often we see payouts going to fired coaches in the world of college sports, I doubt we're that far from the norm in this regard.

As far as offering extensions after successful seasons, there might be a point to this, but I think you'd have to look at where the coach was in terms of their existing contract and the message you send to current players and recruits that a contract extension sends. There also may be other factors of which the general fans are unaware, like the perceived threat of competing offers for a coach you really want to retain that UMass may be trying to head off. I feel there may be something to that latter issue in this case. So, while Coach Leflar's extension, or really any coach's extension, might fit what looks like a pattern, it could well be that the exact reasons for the extensions might differ case by case and the pattern correlates with, but isn't caused only by, the successful season.

Again, I also don't know if UMass is that different from other institutions in terms of offering contract extensions either.

[Juice Stand]

Huge congrats to Coach Leflar, I'm certainly pleased to see that he'll be back. He and Carvel are really the only program builders we've seen under Bamford. McCall and Frank haven't built anything, football is what it is, and Leflar started with absolutely nothing in year one, built up a winner in the A10 in year two, and won over 20 games in year three with many players getting conference honors.

I wonder if he was getting courted by other programs, namely BC his alma mater, and he either told Bamford he was getting serious offers, or Bamford saw the interest and decided he needed to be proactive. Either way, great to have him signed long term.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Good discussion, RR, thank you!


Once again, congrats Coach! Now keep winning!!!

[Rolling Ridge]

I wonder if he was getting courted by other programs, namely BC his alma mater, and he either told Bamford he was getting serious offers, or Bamford saw the interest and decided he needed to be proactive.

My personal sense is the latter, not so much that Bamford saw specific interest, but that he saw the potential for interest, especially from BC, and decided to nip it in the bud before anything could really progress. I'm guessing this has been in the works for longer, and the announcement only came out yesterday.

What's especially gratifying to me is that Mike accepted. I've always gotten the sense that he is strongly committed to UMass and being in this area. This affirms that to me. Nothing is forever, but I think we can count on him being coach for long enough to really elevate this program and start to build a winning tradition that is sustainable. I'm definitely all in on this team and I feel like this is a sport where UMass could and should excel. I totally agree that having Mike signed long term feels fantastic.

[bottom line]

Will Yahmani stay or enter the portal? In either case, Mike will have to get a couple of real good players out of the portal. With Megan, Allie, and Lilly departing, there are some big holes to fill.

[Rolling Ridge]

Will Yahmani stay or enter the portal? In either case, Mike will have to get a couple of real good players out of the portal. With Megan, Allie, and Lilly departing, there are some big holes to fill.

Nobody knows what Yahmani will do. I'm guessing she stays, but I have no basis for that other than a gut sense.

You're right, losing Allie, Meg and Lilly is tough, but the cupboard is not entirely bare. Taylor Derkack is expected to return, and we have already signed three promising freshmen. I personally think Aiyanna Perkins will have more of a presence next season and has upside that we haven't yet fully seen. I also fully expect Ayanna Franks and Chinenye to return.

I'm sure Mike will be looking at the portal to identify opportunities, especially if we have some unwanted/unexpected departures, but that pretty much goes without saying. I think even with losing our graduating seniors, there's still a base of solid players on the team.

[vanmeter]

I think keeping Yahmani is the key. If she stays I think we will be fine.
As for Mike, he is not only a good coach but a fine person.

[Bags]

Unlike the men’s side, he seems more focused on touting the experience of going to UMASS for 4 years, building relationships inside the team, and outside in the community and classroom. Wow, how refreshing!
I worry that the money aspect is going to become more important and will impact recruiting on the women’s side as well.

[Floyd]

I haven't watched a ton of the women's games but of the ones I have, they look very well prepared and seem to play very well together as a team. The coaching looks pretty good, it seems like they'll continue to get better as the recruiting keeps bringing in talent. He seems like a great fit for UMass