The transfer portal is officially open, and for UMass Football, this 15-day window is the most critical period of the offseason. Coming off a winless 2025 season and preparing for a full return to the Mid-American Conference (MAC), Head Coach Joe Harasymiak and his staff are tasked with a total roster overhaul.
In a move to fortify its off-field infrastructure following a difficult 2025 campaign, UMass Football has hired Brandon Bowie as its new Director of High School Recruiting.
Bowie arrives in Amherst from the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as a senior player personnel and recruiting analyst under Pat Narduzzi. The hire represents a strategic acquisition for Head Coach Joe Harasymiak, who is entering his second season at the helm with the daunting task of rebuilding a roster that finished winless a year ago.
Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald has finalized a key piece of his inaugural Spartans coaching staff by hiring Mike Bajakian as the program’s new quarterbacks coach. Bajakian arrives in East Lansing after a challenging season as the offensive coordinator at UMass.
ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio Bobcats (7-4, 5-2 MAC) closed out their home schedule with a decisive 42-14 victory over the UMass Minutemen (0-11, 0-7 MAC) on a cold, rainy Tuesday night at Peden Stadium. The Bobcats’ powerful running game proved unstoppable for the Minutemen, racking up 363 yards and accounting for all six touchdowns.
Image courtesy of UMass Football The UMass Minutemen are returning to the MAC in 2025 under new head coach Joe Harasymiak. They’ve also brought in new offensive and defensive coordinators and made significant use of the transfer portal to bolster their roster. While there’s a fresh energy and some promising additions, UMass has historically struggled at the FBS level, with a 2-10 record in 2024 and 2023. This schedule will……
The landscape of Division I college football has been permanently altered with the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement that was announced on Friday. The settlement is ushering in an era of direct athlete compensation under a reported $20.5 million annual salary cap per institution. While this represents a seismic shift for all of college athletics, its impact on Division I college football in New England—a region not traditionally……
Xaverian standout athlete Dave Chiavegato announced on Monday evening that he was committing to UMass. Chiavegato cited UMass Joe Harasymiak offering him in person and developing a relationship with him as the reasons he committed to the Minutemen. Here is our interview with Chiavegato. He talks about what went into his decision, his future with UMass and his final season at Xaverian. NEFJ: Why did you decide to commit to……
Courtesy of UMass Athletics The UMass Minutemen football program, under the direction of first-year head coach Joe Harasymiak, has experienced significant activity in the NCAA Transfer Portal leading up to the 2025 season.1 As UMass prepares for its return to the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the coaching staff has been actively reshaping the roster through both incoming and outgoing transfers. Influx of Talent via the Portal: Harasymiak and his staff have……
Courtesy of JKJ X Jakobie Keeney-James transferred into UMass from Eastern Washington. The Redlands, California native transitioned into the program seamlessly catching 50 passes for 839 yards and 6 touchdowns last season. James ran a blistering 4.37 forty at his pro day. Get to know Jakobie Keeney-James NEFJ: When did you start playing football? JKJ: “I started playing football when I was 11 years old, I was playing 2k11 and my…
Courtesy of Rutgers Athletics On Friday, UMass announced Jared Keyte as the program’s new defensive coordinator. Keyte comes to Amherst after spending the past two seasons working with new coach Joe Harasymiak as the nickels coach in 2024. Keyte served as the defensive quality control/interim defensive line coach in 2023. He helped the Scarlet Knights to back-to-back bowl games. Prior to coaching at Rutgers, Keyte coached at the University of……