After being hired on Wednesday, Joe Harasymiak made his first appearance in front of the media as the new head coach of the Massachusetts football team on Friday.
With many alums, supporters and UMass leaders present, Harasymiak was given an opportunity to make early impressions on the Amherst faithful. Before answering questions from the press, the coach delivered an opening statement that lasted approximately 12 minutes.
“There was a vision that had intent, and that’s what got me excited [about UMass],” Harasymiak said. “I could tell in [Chancellor Javier Reyes and Athletic Director Ryan Bamford’s] eyes that there was nothing [that was going to] get in the way of myself being here and then ultimately, us doing what we need to do.”
Among other things, Harasymiak discussed the identity of his Minutemen rosters, which he says hinges on three expectations: that players will showcase belief, ownership and sacrifice. The coach discussed the trio of elements at length in his statement, calling on fans to have belief in the Minutemen, his staff and players to take ownership in their actions. He also highlighted the need for everyone involved with the team to sacrifice for each other.
Before Harasymiak spoke, Bamford delivered a speech revolving around the state of the program and the traits of the former Rutgers coach that won him the position.
“In [Harasymiak], we have somebody who, through humble beginnings, has really taken unbelievable steps to develop himself,” Bamford said. “He’s emerged as a positive and confident leader, taking programs that have been in challenging football environments and [finding] success … There’s no doubt that his optimism, his energy, his grit and his will to succeed will lead us and serve us well in this program.”
Bamford also took Harasymiak’s three main expectations and made them his own. With his emotions evident, the athletic director took ownership for the program’s recent lack of success before stating his belief in Minutemen football seeing its full potential.
Reyes opened the press conference with some brief statements on his vision for the athletic department, along with his thoughts on the new hire.
“Coach [Harasymiak] fits the profile we were looking for,” Reyes said. “A true relationship builder that aligns with what is important for UMass Amherst, he exhibits great leadership skills, qualities and authentic care for the growth of his players on and off the field.”
With the Midnight Ride Collective announcing its suspension of operations at the end of December, the level of investment in UMass football was a major point of emphasis. Bamford said that the Minutemen’s coaching salary pool will be around $2.7 million, which he estimated will be the highest in the Mid-American Conference by a wide margin. Decisions on new and retained staff members are ongoing, per the head coach.
The athletic director also confirmed a Pete Thamel report that Harasymiak will have $2 million in guaranteed NIL in the coach’s first season, which will then bump up to $3 million in 2026. Those numbers would likely make UMass one of the most well-funded non-power conference football teams in the nation.
A New Jersey native, Harasymiak does have western Massachusetts ties as a graduate of Springfield College. At just 29 years old, he received his first head coaching opportunity at Maine, where he went 20-15 and made one FCS Playoff semifinal appearance across three seasons. Harasymiak arrives after spending three years at Rutgers, where as defensive coordinator, he coached two NFL Draft picks.
“We’re going to be efficient,” Harasymiak said. “We have to win up front on both sides of the ball, that sets the tone for everything … That’s going to be our focus and our priority, and then we kind of move on from there.”
“Energy, positivity, optimism, innovation, connection with young people … a number of coaches that we’ve watched have success here have had those traits and characteristics,” Bamford said. “[Harasymiak] certainly possesses all those things as well.”
Dean Wendel can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @DeanWende1.
