UMass has hired Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak as its next head football coach.
Harasymiak is expected to agree to a five-year deal worth between $1.3 and $1.4 million annually, according to sources. UMass announced Tuesday that Harasymiak will be officially introduced at a news conference Friday morning.
"For many reasons that became apparent in the search process, Coach Harasymiak is the ideal candidate to lead the football program at our flagship campus," UMass chancellor Javier A. Reyes said in a statement. "Joe's leadership qualities, vision for program-building in this new NCAA environment and his authentic care for the growth of his players, on and off the field, became evident in our search."
Harasymiak has a history of helping win at difficult places, and he brings strong ties to the New England area from his time as the head coach at Maine, which he led to the FCS semifinals in 2018. He's spent the past three years at Rutgers, including back-to-back bowl teams in 2023 and 2024.
"With extensive ties to football in the Northeast, which began in our back yard where he excelled at Springfield College, he is the perfect fit to lead us into a new era," athletic director Ryan Bamford said. "A successful leader, recruiter and tactician, his feats have included a conference championship at Maine, and most recently helping Rutgers to back-to-back bowl seasons. Joe has been a proven winner at every level."
Harasymiak comes to UMass at an intriguing time of transition, as it enters the MAC in 2025. The administration has dedicated significant funds to assuring better success as the school, which has not had a winning season since elevating football to FBS in 2012.
Harasymiak said in a statement that he is "thrilled and extremely grateful" for the opportunity to coach the Minutemen.
"It was clear to me that we have outstanding leadership and alignment from the top down that will allow us to compete for MAC championships and to sustain that success," he said. "I can't wait to get around our student-athletes and start building relationships."
UMass will have nearly $2 million in NIL/revenue share for the 2025 season and $3 million for 2026, according to sources. Those numbers are guaranteed, according to sources, which means they don't have to go out and fundraise.
"After our intensive search process, he emerged as the ideal fit to lead our program into the Mid-American Conference," Bamford said. "For the last six years he has built highly successful defenses in the Big Ten and has showcased an impactful record in recruiting and in building relationships with his players."
Harasymiak will also have a staff pool of more than $2.7 million, according to sources, which projects to be the highest staff pool in the MAC by a significant amount.
In the 13 seasons since elevating to the FBS, UMass has never won five games and won four games just twice. Don Brown was fired after going 6-28 and Walt Bell went 2-23.
Harasymiak comes with a résumé that's filled with places where it has been difficult to win, including Maine, Minnesota and Rutgers. His time at Minnesota included a stint as the program's co-defensive coordinator.
He has produced strong results at Rutgers, most notably a top-20 defense in 2023. He's a New Jersey native who has twice been nominated for the Broyles Award.