UMass football head coach Joe Harasymiak has a lot on his plate in his first year in Amherst. The former Rutgers defensive coordinator is looking to be the voice, the leader, the difference — whatever you want to call it — in reshaping a football program that hasn’t managed a winning record in 15 years.
Harasymiak’s arrival coincided with UMass finally finding a home within a conference, a familiar spot in the Mid-American Conference as the Minutemen are officially full-fledged members of the MAC.
With that, transfers have found their way to the Pioneer Valley seeking a fresh start or in some cases, a chance to prove themselves on the gridiron. Similarly, Harasymiak reconstructed UMass’ coaching staff and even included another “Coach Joe” in the mix with Joe Castellitto taking the reigns as the new special teams coordinator.
Should UMass turn things around, it won’t be overnight. Finding the right players and right systems is a process, however one thing is already certain through the first weeks of the Minutemen’s preseason camp: solidifying special teams is a priority.
“We were doing some punt-return stuff and [Harasymiak] announced on the loud speaker that there’s an 85% chance to win the game if you block a punt,” Castellitto said. “I’ve been fortunate, in my career, we’ve blocked six in 20 games so the guys understand that value. We give them stats, we give them data, we show them examples of that happening so it gives them faith to believe in it, but we have to work on it so the fine details will be second-nature to us when those plays arise.”
UMass did not register a single blocked punt last year.
Castellitto comes to Western Massachusetts following a successful stint at Dartmouth where he helped the Big Green claim consecutive Ivy League titles, plus coached the 2024 Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Year in Owen Zalc.
The Minutemen certainly have room for growth in the special teams side of things as they went 13-for-21 in field goals (longest-made came in at 45 yards) and averaged 40.3 yards per punt across 56 total tries last season.
Castellitto revealed last week that Derek Morris won the starting job as UMass’ placekicker. The former Cal-Berkeley Golden Bear is the first piece of the puzzle in the Minutemen’s quest to become more reliable in special teams.
“When you kick, it’s you versus yourself at the end of the day,” Morris said. “So I just focused on myself and worked on my craft and did what I needed to. At the end of the day, it worked out.”
In seven appearances in 2024, Morris went 11-for-15 in field goals and set a career high with a 46-yarder in a game against Oregon State.
Morris added he can get the ball between the uprights from as far as 55 yards, kicking into the wind.
“I really like the way Derek actually carries himself,” Castellitto said. “I know we referenced Owen Zalc earlier, those two aren’t too far apart from each other, when it comes to a mental aspect and ability. He reminds me of him a lot, which is awesome.”
Australian Keegan Andrews is one of the Minutemen’s two potential punters, along with fellow countryman Edward Phillipson. A member of the Texas A&M Aggies program a year ago, Andrews stated he has clicked with Castellitto right away since joining UMass.
“I love Coach [Castellitto],” Andrews said. “He’s one of the most personable coaches I think I’ve ever had. He’s down-to-earth and he’s always willing to learn … every little key detail, he’s very focused on the details and that really helps us as a special teams unit.”
Harasymiak has referenced setting a solid foundation multiple times since camp began. Regardless of their final record, the Minutemen must find an area where improvement can be proven once the offseason rolls around next winter.
While it may not be the most attractive way to secure wins, Harasymiak’s first layer of success at UMass may very well be an enhanced special teams unit.
“We’re going to win games on [special] teams,” Harasymiak said earlier this summer. “It’s a third of the game … the way we kick the ball now, we’re going to flip fields.”