UMass fires football coach Don Brown after 6

Nov. 18 (UPI) - The University of Massachusetts fired football coach Don Brown after he led the Minutemen to a 6-28 record over the last three seasons, the school announced Monday.

Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery will serve as the interim coach of the Minutemen, who are 2-8 this season.

"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," Minutemen athletic director Ryan Bamford said in a news release.

"Don should have immense pride in the outstanding contributions he has made to advance Massachusetts football during his three stops in Amherst, Mass.

"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."

Brown and the Minutemen lost their first three games this season. They then beat Central Connecticut State, but went on another three-game skid. The Minutemen beat Wagner for their second win Oct. 26. They lost the next two games, including a 45-20 setback to Mississippi State and a 35-34 loss to Liberty on Saturday in Amherst.

Brown, 69, first served as head coach at UMass from 2004 to 2008. He led the Minutemen to a 43-19 record during that tenure. The 2006 Minutemen finished as the runners-up in the FCS national title game.

Brown, who also coached at Northeastern and Plymouth State, served as defensive coordinator at Maryland from 2009 to 2010. He held the same role at UConn, Boston College, Michigan and Arizona before returning to UMass in 2022.

The Minutemen will take on No. 8 Georgia on Saturday in Athens, Ga.