UMass football head coach Charley Molnar on Monday announced the members of his staff.

http://w w w .masslive.com/umassfootball/index.ssf/2012/03/umass_football_coach_charley_m_5.html May 14, 2012

UMass football coach Charley Molnar names assistants

AP file

AMHERST – UMass football head coachCharley Molnar on Monday named themembers of his coaching staff who willlead the program into its first full seasonat the Football Bowl Subdivision and as amember of the Mid-AmericanConference.

The staff is comprised of coaches whohave experience with Bowl ChampionshipSeries (BCS) schools as well as time inthe National Football League and theUnited Football League.

“I think the staff we have assembled hasthe

knowledge, experience and teaching tools to make us a successful program in all phases of thegame,” Molnar said. “This is a highly motivated group of professionals who know how to gainsuccess not just in football, but in daily life. Their experiences as coaches and players will serve asthe foundation for what we want to build here – championship caliber football played bychampionship caliber young men.”

Spring football practice begins March 27 with the Spring Game set for April 28.

The 2012 season will bring forth a new era in UMass football history as the Minutemen becomemembers of the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mid-American Conference. Concurrent with themove will be a change in venue with UMass playing home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

The Minutemen, a football-only members of the MAC, will be eligible for the MAC Championshipand bowl participation in 2013.

The 2012 season will be the 130th for the UMass football program. UMass had been a FCSmember since 1978, when the division was first formed. In that time span, UMass won 22conference championships, made eight NCAA Tournament appearances while winning the 1998National Championship Title and playing in the NCAA Championship game three times (1978,1998 and 2006). UMass was a member of the Yankee Conference, the Atlantic 10 and mostrecently the Colonial Athletic Association.

The coaching staff (in alphabetical order):

JEFF BURRIS,

Cornerbacks coach/community outreach

A 10-year defensive back in the National Football League following a standout career at NotreDame, Burris will bring his considerable knowledge of the secondary to UMass as the cornerbackscoach. Burris will also serve as the program’s community outreach liaison as the Minutemencontinue their approach to helping those in the surrounding areas.

A consensus All-America pick and 1993 senior tri-captain at Notre Dame, Burris played free safetyfor the Irish. A top defensive player throughout his career, Burris and the Irish went 11-1 and finishedsecond in the final national polls in 1993. He was a first-round selection (27th pick) in the 1994 NFLDraft taken by the Buffalo Bills, where he played until 1998.

In his first year with the Bills, he was named to the NFL All-Rookie team. In 1998, he was picked upby the Indianapolis Colts as a defensive back. In 2001, he was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals,where he played until 2003.

Beginning his coaching career in 2007, Burris worked as a secondary coach at Fishers HighSchool, where he helped work on the technique of cornerbacks and safeties as well as installing adefensive scheme.

In September 2008, he served a coaching internship with the Buffalo Bills.

Burris joined the United Football League’s Sacramento Mountain Lions as the defensive backscoach in 2011, where he worked with longtime NFL head coach Dennis Green.

Burris is a native of Rock Hill, S.C., where he graduated from Northwestern High School.

TED DAISHER,

Safeties coach

An experienced collegiate and professional football coach, Daisher brings a wealth of knowledge tothe UMass secondary as the safeties coach. He has coached football since 1978 at all levels,including six years in the National Football League and one year in the United Football League.

Last season, Daisher coached at Bryant, serving as the defensive backs coach following his sevenyears working in professional football. While in the professional ranks, he worked on the staffs of thePhiladelphia Eagles (2004-05 and 2009), the Oakland Raiders (2006), the Cleveland Browns(2007-08) and the Hartford Colonials (2010, UFL). During his first stint with the Eagles, he workedas the special teams quality control coach and assistant defensive line coach for Andy Reid’ssquad that reached the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

At the collegiate level, the Michigan native has spent time at Illinois, Northern Illinois, EasternMichigan, Cincinnati, Army, Indiana and East Carolina. He helped Northern Illinois win the MACChampionship in 1983 and the California Bowl. He repeated those wins in 1987 with EasternMichigan. In 2001, he served with East Carolina as the Pirates played in the GMAC Bowl.

Daisher graduated from Western Michigan where he was a letter-winner from 1975-77 as a widereceiver and defensive back. He and his wife Danielle have three children: Nicole, Ted and Taylor.

PHIL ELMASSIAN,

Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach

A veteran collegiate defensive coach, Elmassian joins UMass as the defensive coordinator andlinebackers coach. Since 1974 Elmassian has coached collegiate football at the highest levelscovering 38 years, including 10 as a defensive coordinator.

Elmassian spent last season with Purdue, marking his second coaching stint with the Boilermakers.Prior to that, he spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Illinois State, and has served inthe same capacity at West Virginia, LSU, Boston College and Virginia Tech, as well as the

linebackers coach at Marshall and defensive backs coach at Nebraska, Wisconsin, Syracuse,Minnesota and East Carolina. He has mentored 26 all-conference players, including two All-Americans, and has coached in 18 bowls in his career.

The veteran coach has been a part of championships in four conferences and has served as thedefensive coordinator at five NCAA Division I FBS schools: Louisiana-Monroe, LSU, Virginia Tech,Boston College and West Virginia.

His five league titles include Marshall’s Mid-American Conference Championship in 2002,Washington’s Pac-10 Championship in 1995, and Virginia’s Atlantic Coast ConferenceChampionship in 1989. He also helped lead Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl and Big TenChampionships in 1998 and 1999, as the Badger defense led the nation in scoring defense in 1998and ranked fifth in 1999.

With Elmassian on staff, the 2003 Boilermakers finished third in the Big Ten in scoring, rushing andtotal defense and fourth in the league in pass defense. Purdue ranked second in the Big Ten, and19th in the nation, in pass efficiency defense in 2003, and also ranked 13th nationally in totaldefense.

During Elmassian’s stint at Wisconsin, the Badgers led the nation in scoring defense in 1998 (11.9points per game) and ranked fifth in 1999 (12.8). They were No. 1 in the Big Ten in scoring defense,total defense (298.1, 15th nationally) and passing defense (97.9, fifth nationally) in 1999. Wisconsinbecame the first Big Ten school to win back-to-back Rose Bowls in 1998 and 1999, defeating thehigh-powered offenses of UCLA and Stanford. All four of the Badgers’ defensive backs earned first-team, second-team or honorable mention all-conference honors in 1999. Cornerback JamarFletcher led the nation in interceptions in 1998 with seven and went on to be named the Big TenDefensive Player of the Year, earn consensus All-America honors and win the Jim Thorpe Award asthe nation’s outstanding defensive back in 2000.

Elmassian, born April 28, 1951, is a 1974 graduate of William and Mary, where he playeddefensive back under Lou Holtz. He and his wife, Mary, have three children, Claire, Dylan and Olivia.

RON HUDSON,

Run game coordinator/offensive line coach

Hudson joins UMass as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach. Hudson spent the 2011campaign at New Mexico, coaching the offensive line after serving as the assistant head coach,offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Louisiana Lafayette from 2005-10. This will beHudson’s 24th year of collegiate coaching, including his 17th working with the offensive line.

Under Hudson’s supervision, the Cajuns produced one of the nation’s most dominating runninggames. UL finished in the top 15 in the nation in rushing offense four times, ranking seventh in 2005and 2007. Additionally, three times the Cajuns placed in the top-15 for fewest sacks allowed.

In 2005 when UL was Sun Belt Conference champions, Hudson tutored an offensive line that pavedthe way for a school record 2,797 rushing yards and 34 rushing TDs. UL allowed just nine sacks –the fourth-lowest total in the country. That rushing record didn’t stand long as the Cajuns ran for3,019 yards in 2007, including 1,000-yard rushing performances from quarterback MichaelDesormeaux and running back Tyrell Fenroy. UL became the first team in Sun Belt history to rush formore than 3,000 yards in a season. The offensive line ranked 19th nationally in fewest sacksallowed.

A national finalist for 2008 offensive line coach of the year, Hudson tutored seven All-Sun Beltperformers from 2006-08, including three-time All-SBC tackle Jesse Newman. Newman was thethird overall selection in the 2008 Canadian Football League Draft.

Fenroy was the biggest piece to the Cajuns’ ground game, amassing 4,646 yards and 48 TDs from2005-08. He became just the seventh player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards four times.

Hudson came to UL after serving as the offensive line coach at Texas A&M-Kingsville. He coachedthree all-conference players, including Roy Stroud, who was a Division II All-American. Kingsvillewas ranked as one of the top five Division II programs in the nation.

Prior to his appointment with the Javelinas, Hudson spent three seasons at UTEP. He was tightends coach in 2001-02 and promoted to defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in 2003.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Hudson received bachelor’s degrees in physical education and historyfrom Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio in 1987. He added a master’s in physicaleducation from Louisville in 1992.

MIKE KRUCZEK,

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

A veteran collegiate and professional football quarterbacks coach, Mike Kruczek will join UMass asthe offensive coordinator. An All-American quarterback at Boston College in 1975 and NFLquarterback from 1976-80, Kruczek brings a wealth of experience to the Minutemen signal callers.

Over the last seven years, Kruczek has served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coachat the professional level working with the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals and theUnited Football League’s Sacramento Mountain Lions.

At the collegiate level, he served six years as the head coach of Central Florida following a 12-yearstint as the Knights’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his tenure in Orlando,Kruczek coached future NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Daunte Culpepper, led UCF to a win overAlabama, and guided the program as it transitioned to the Mid-American Conference.

He began his coaching career as the quarterbacks coach at Florida State in 1982 where he workedtwo seasons under legendary college football coach Bobby Bowden.

Kruczek was an All-American standout quarterback at Boston College graduating in 1975. In 1974,he set the NCAA pass completion percentage record (68.9 percent) and served as Team Captainin 1975. He was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.

Professionally, he was picked in the second round (47th overall) of the 1976 NFL Draft, playing forfour seasons with Pittsburgh before concluding his NFL career in 1980 with Washington. He wontwo Super Bowl rings (1978, 1979) with Pittsburgh and in 1976 as a rookie helped the Steelers tothe AFC title game.

Kruczek and his wife Leigh have two children, Kelly and Garrett.

RODERICK PLUMMER,

Special teams coordinator/running backs

Plummer joins the Minutemen as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach, bringingwith him 17 years of coaching experience at all levels of college football. For the past threeseasons, Plummer served as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach at Yale.

For the past decade, Plummer has coached special teams with three of his players either being

drafted or picked up as free agents with the National Football League.

His coaching career includes stops at Florida A&M, Idaho, Cornell and Michigan State, where hecoached under Nick Saban and Bobby Williams.

Plummer began his coaching career in 1994 with Kutztown University. He also served NationalFootball League coaching internships with Philadelphia, Jacksonville, San Francisco andCleveland.

A native of Oakland, Calif., Plummer is a 1993 graduate of Washington State, where he was a four-year letter-winner and starting linebacker for the Cougars. In 2002, he was inducted into the St.Mary’s College High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

DAVE SOLLAZZO,

Assistant head coach/defensive line

Sollazzo brings 34 years of coaching experience to the UMass, including 25 seasons at theDivision I level with a stop at Villanova last season after spending 10 years at Maryland. During hiscoaching career, Sollazzo has coached in 10 bowl games and two NCAA playoff games.

Sollazzo spent the 2011 season coaching the defensive line at Villanova where the Wildcats led theColonial Athletic Association in rushing defense.

Prior to that, he spent 10 seasons at the University of Maryland where he also coached thedefensive line. He served as the Terrapin recruiting coordinator for his final five years in CollegePark. During his last four years at Maryland, the Terps signed 72 student-athletes ranked among thetop 100 nationally at their positions, including 17 All-Americans.

In 2010 at Maryland, Sollazzo guided defensive lineman Joe Vellano to second team All-ACChonors and he helped the Terrapins to the second biggest turnaround in the country, going from 2-10 in 2009 to 9-4 in 2010. Maryland closed out the 2010 campaign with a victory over East Carolinain the Military Bowl.

Prior to his 10-year stint at Maryland, Sollazzo spent two seasons (1999-00) as the defensivetackles coach at Georgia Tech. Before he arrived at Georgia Tech, Sollazzo was the defensive linecoach at his alma mater, The Citadel, from 1989-98. As a player, Sollazzo was a defensive linemanat The Citadel from 1973-76.

Sollazzo and his wife Ellen reside in Phoenixville, Pa., with their 9-year old son Christopher.

ALLEN SUBER,

Wide receivers coach/pro liaison

Suber joins UMass as the wide receivers coach and pro liaison after spending two years atBethune-Cookman in a similar capacity. Along with his college coaching experience at his almamater, Suber played three seasons in the NFL and NFL Europe before beginning his coachingcareer.

At Bethune-Cookman, Suber spent two seasons as the wide receivers coach under Brian Jenkins.During the early months of 2011, Suber was promoted by Jenkins to the role of recruitingcoordinator. In his time coaching the Wildcats, he oversaw a group that helped to make B-CUamong one of the top offensive teams in the nation, which hauled in 146 (receivers only) passes for

2,191 yards, and were a major contributing factor in returning a MEAC Championship trophy to B-CU for the first time since Suber was in the backfield.

“Suberman” led one of the greatest eras of B-CU from 1999-2003, including the 2002 Mid-EasternAthletic Conference Championship team that finished 11-2, the program’s first and secondappearances in the NCAA I-AA playoffs, and consecutive victories over Florida A&M, featuring the2003 victory where Suber rallied the Wildcats from a 28-10 halftime deficit and hit Eric Weems, nowwith the Atlanta Falcons, for a late TD in a thrilling 39-35 victory.

He was the 2003 MEAC offensive player of the year and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award thatyear. Suber still holds two Wildcat career rushing records for yards (2,897) and touchdowns (39).Additionally, he was a two-time All-American earning the accolades as a junior (2002) and senior(2003).

Suber was on the rosters of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texasbefore being allocated to the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe.

His first coaching opportunity came in 2006 when he oversaw B-CU quarterbacks in spring drills.He also participated in a 2007 scouting internship with the Jaguars.

As an offensive coordinator for Treasure Coast High School, Suber helped a young programcoming off a 3-17 record its first two seasons into a squad into a squad that won its district and firststate playoff.

SHANE WALDRON,

Tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator

Waldron joins the UMass coaching staff as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, bringingwith him experience at the professional level as a coach in the NFL and UFL. He also served threeseasons on the coaching staff at Notre Dame.

In 2010, Waldron served as the wide receivers coach for the Hartford Colonials of the UnitedFootball League.

Prior to his stint in the UFL, Waldron worked with the New England Patriots for a number of years.Beginning in 2002, Waldron served as an operations intern, helping to prep game plans andplaybooks, as well as assisting in the day-to-day running of an NFL team. In 2004, Waldron waspromoted to the title of an operations assistant, handling special teams quality control duties andoverseeing the completion of weekly game plans.

After leaving the Patriots to coach at Notre Dame, Waldron returned to New England in 2008 wherehe served as a quality control coach for the offense. Here, he helped to implement and develop theoffensive system. In 2009, he served as the tight ends coach creating and implement a strategicand successful offense.

From 2005 until 2007, Waldron worked at Notre Dame as an offensive graduate assistant,evaluating recruits, helping to run special teams, and assisting with the coaching line. With the Irish,he was a part of two of the most explosive offenses in school history as both the 2005 and 2006units averaged at least 31 points per game and 389 yards per game. During his time there hehelped coach an offense that included Brady Quinn, Darius Walker and Jeff Samardzija.

Most recently, Waldron worked as an offensive coordinator at the Buckingham Browne and NicholsHigh School in 2011 and also as a Northeast Sports Consultant. In both jobs, Waldron gainedexperience working with high school talent.

A native of Portland, Ore., Waldron is a 2002 graduate of Tufts University where he was a three-year letterman as a tight end and long snapper.

Also, graduate assistants Ryan Gold and Matt Loucks will return to the staff after working with theprogram last year. Jordan Jarry also returns for his second season as the director of footballoperations, while Charley Molnar III joins the staff as a recruiting and operations graduate assistant.