The clock ticks down, not to signal the conclusion of a game, but rather the time a player’s body has to recover after three straight hours of exerting energy. The Massachusetts football team welcomes a new nutrition plan this offseason under the leadership of new Director Of High Performance and Head Football Sports Performance Coach, George Greene.
Through spring practices and preparation for the first game of the season, UMass has revamped the food intake for players. UMass football is now offering players and coaches both breakfast and lunch, as well as grab-and-go options, in between classes.
Meals for players now include–but are nowhere near limited to–eggs, yogurt and a fruit option for breakfast. As for lunch, the options are chicken, salmon, rice, pasta and a fruit or vegetable choice. These options fill a missing gap for micronutrients before training.
“[We] are going to look for the most healthy option for these guys,” Greene said.
Coach Greene first joined the Minutemen after completing an applied exercise science major at Springfield College in 2008. During his first run in Amherst, he worked with a range of UMass teams rather than just one. These programs included the football team, as well as hockey and men’s lacrosse.
“There are more resources now than when I was first here,” Greene said.
Greene reunites with the UMass football program as part of a complete coaching overhaul under the new leadership of head coach Joe Harasymiak. Prior to his return to Amherst, he worked in a variety of positions, all the way up to Senior Associate Athletic Director of High Performance and Competitive Success at Stony Brook University in New York.
“UMass was my first full time job and coming back is a full circle moment,” Greene said. “This is now a special opportunity for myself and my family.”
Under Harasymiak, the message of rebuilding the process has been repeated over and over again.
“[The] mission of the performance [is to have] no stones left [unturned],” Greene said. “[The] staff and players are getting to know each other well.”
UMass dining has been ranked No. 1 for the past eight years by the Princeton Review, a commonly celebrated achievement seen on signs across campus. The football team has never truly utilized that resource until now.
Greene highlighted the importance of postgame meals and the impact that nutrition can have on a player’s future development and health. In previous years, postgame meals at home included Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, an apple and a chocolate chip cookie. The importance of recovery cannot be understated, and the new staff identified the need for a revamp in that area.
Players have already seen changes: as quickly as they exit the field after practices or games, they are typically offered a variety of protein shakes.
“Resources are unbalanced with No. 1 dining [at UMass],” Greene said. “Recovery program time is a very short frame.”
By offering more meals for players now, a sense of community is being built as players who played under former head coach Don Brown now work with a new coaching staff. As meals are offered on site in the Performance Center, a family bond has been built on the team.
“These guys sit together while on opposite sides of the ball,” Greene said. “Offensive players sit with defensive coaches and defensive players sit with offensive coaches.”
The Minutemen finished the 2024 season with a 2-10 record and saw the departure of Brown just before traveling to Athens to face the University of Georgia towards the conclusion of last season.
“These guys care and are buying into the process,” Greene said. “They are more alert and more prepared.”
UMass football will rest for a majority of the summer before picking things back up for training camp in preparation for its return to the Mid-American Conference. The first game of its 2025 campaign will take place on Aug. 30 against Temple.
Jonathan Murgida can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @jonathanmurgida.
