AMHERST — New UMass head football coach Joe Harasymiak’s staff is starting to take shape, as Wednesday marked the official one week anniversary of his hiring.
Sources told the Daily Hampshire Gazette that Tre’ Bell is to serve as UMass’ next defensive backs coach, replacing Michael Livingston. Bell was brought on to West Virginia’s staff as a defensive analyst back in February after two years coaching DBs at Akron.
During his time with the Zips, Bell coached three All-MAC performers (Tyson Durant, Darrian Lewis and KJ Martin). The three of them combined for three interceptions and 16 pass breakups in 2023 and five interceptions and 13 PBUs in 2022.
Sources also informed the Gazette that Kayon Whitaker would be joining Harasymiak’s staff as a defensive analyst. Whitaker is someone Harasymiak knows very well, as Whitaker was a three-time all-conference defensive lineman at Maine – recording 183 tackles, 45.5 tackles-for-loss, 27 sacks and seven forced fumbled from 2016-19 – while Harasymiak was the head coach.
NEWS: UMass to hire Tre’ Bell as its defensive backs coach, per source.
Bell was brought on to West Virginia’s staff as a defensive analyst back in February after two years coaching DBs at Akron.
Minutemen head coach Joe Harasymiak is starting to round out his staff in Amherst.
— Garrett Cote (@garrett_cote) December 11, 2024
Whitaker spent multiple seasons as a player personnel/development assistant at Rutgers prior to joining the staff in Amherst.
As first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, UMass has hired former Dartmouth special teams coordinator Joe Castellitto to the same role with the Minutemen. Prior to his two seasons with the Big Green, Castellitto spent three seasons at UConn coaching defensive backs and outside linebackers. Castellitto replaces UMass special teams coordinator Ben Albert.
It has also been rumored that Harasymiak is zeroing in on a candidate to serve as his defensive coordinator. Coming from a position at Rutgers where he called the defense, something he has done quite successfully at a number of stops, Harasymiak certainly wants someone smart – and probably someone who doesn’t necessarily need to call the plays.
UMass is also expected to hire Kayon Whitaker as a defensive analyst, sources tell me. Whitaker spent multiple seasons as a player personnel/development assistant at Rutgers.
He was a 3x all-conference defensive lineman at Maine under Harasymiak, recording 45.5 TFLs & 27 sacks. https://t.co/b7Q554OGXo
— Garrett Cote (@garrett_cote) December 11, 2024
Look out for more hires from Rutgers, where Harasymiak led the defense to back-to-back bowl games the last two seasons.