Editor’s note: This story is breaking and will become updated as more information becomes available.
On Friday afternoon, rivals.com first broke the news that Massachusetts football team offensive coordinator Steve Casula would be leaving the Minutemen to reunite with Michigan as its new tight ends coach. Casula had previously worked for the Wolverines as an offensive analyst from March of 2019 until he left the program and joined UMass in December of 2021.
Grant Newsome most recently served Michigan as its tight ends coach before transitioning to coaching the offensive line for the upcoming 2024 season. Casula joins the defending national champions after the departure of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The Minutemen made great strides between Casula’s first and second years — they had one of the most improved offenses in the country in 2023. In Casula’s first year, UMass ranked dead-last (131st) in scoring at 12.5 points per game, and 129th in total yards per game at 265.8. In 2023 it improved to 97th in scoring offense at 23.2 points per game and 88th in total yards per game at 356.3. The number of passing touchdowns more than tripled, going from four in 2022 to 14 in 2023. The same can be said about rushing touchdowns, as that number rose from 10 to 19 between year one and two.
In addition to his role as offensive coordinator, Casula also was the quarterbacks coach. In his two years, UMass started five different quarterbacks, using seven in total. In year two, Casula got production out of all three quarterbacks that were used, with Taisun Phommachanh, Carlos Davis and Ahmad Haston all making positive contributions as the play caller.
Casula’s biggest success in his time as the team’s offensive coordinator was the meteoric rise of Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams in 2023. Lynch-Adams propelled his way to the most rushing yards in a single season at the FBS level for UMass with 1,157 rushing yards, while also setting the record for the most rushing touchdowns at the FBS level for UMass with 12.
UMass has yet to announce the departure of Casula and the ensuing hiring search.
Johnny Depin can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Jdepin101.
