Days before the Georgia Bulldogs are set to host UMass, the Minutemen fired coach Don Brown.
The school released a statement Monday regarding the decision.
“I am extremely grateful to Coach Brown for returning to UMass three years ago to help us build back a program he once coached to a national title game (in 2006 in the FCS ranks),” UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford said. “Don should have immense pride in the outstanding contributions he has made to advance Massachusetts Football during his three stops in Amherst. Upon his return in 2021, we shared a common goal to help UMass football attain conference membership, something that was realized last spring. Largely due to his renowned coaching reputation, Don legitimized our FBS program and Massachusetts football has taken positive steps forward since his return. We are structurally positioned to accomplish our competitive goals as we move into a new league and a new college athletics landscape in 2025.”
Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery will serve as interim coach. He was coach at Miami (Ohio) from 2005-08.
“I know Shane (Montgomery) from the past and recruited together on the road,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I’ve been around Shane before. He’s a tremendous coach, and we look forward to preparing for this game.”
Brown, 69, led UMass to a 2-8record this season, including losses to SEC members Missouri and Mississippi State. He was 6-28 in this stint at UMass; he previously was at UMass from 2004-08. Before his second stint at UMass, Brown was the defensive coordinator at Arizona in 2021 and served as the DC at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh from 2016-20. He also has been a coordinator at Boston College, UConn and Maryland.
Georgia last played UMass in 2018, winning 66-27.
Saturday’s game is set for a 12:45 p.m. kickoff on the SEC Network.
