Michael Lev: A breakthrough victory for ex-Arizona DC Don Brown and his UMass ‘Minutecats’

The sense of relief was palpable on the old coach’s face.

“Winning a football game is never easy,” one of his players, Tyler Martin, said later.

That’s especially true at the University of Massachusetts. It might be the hardest place to win in America.

Before their breakthrough, 41-30 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday night, the Minutemen had lost 24 consecutive road games. They hadn’t beaten an FBS opponent anywhere since Oct. 9, 2021. Over the previous four seasons, they had a record of 3-37.

Brown left the University of Arizona after one year as defensive coordinator to try and turn things around at a school he once called home — and to be closer to the homes where his four children and 11 grandkids live. He came back to UMass to experience nights like Saturday.

His players competed, they won and they celebrated. They danced in the end zone as Justin Bieber’s “Baby” played on the video board. They hopped and bopped in the locker room, with Brown right in the middle of the mosh pit.

“Just happy for the kids,” Brown said. “Losing is miserable.”

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the UMass sideline erupted in unbridled joy. The jubilant scene reminded me of the UA sideline when the Wildcats ended their school-record losing streak against Cal in 2021.

Many of the Minutemen experienced both.

Eight former Wildcats transferred to UMass in the last recruiting cycle. Six of them dressed against NMSU. Five played at least 19 snaps. Three made game-changing plays.

UMass Wildcats? Minutecats?

Whatever you want to call them, Brown is grateful that they decided to migrate east to play for him. Their prior relationships, he said, created a “natural affinity” between players and coach. Amherst became a natural landing spot — despite UMass’ many challenges as an underfunded independent far removed from most of the nation’s most fertile recruiting territories.

“I want to make sure I'm clear on this,” Brown said. “Jedd Fisch is an outstanding football coach, and I'm telling you I didn't go poach Jedd Fisch’s deal.

“But I coached all those guys. ... When you make a change, sometimes that becomes an important fact.”

The ex-Wildcats left Tucson for various reasons. Receiver Anthony Simpson, who had 92 yards from scrimmage and the game’s first touchdown Saturday, is from Connecticut and wanted a bigger role. Martin, a linebacker who had four tackles and a drive-killing TFL, is from Massachusetts and has known Brown since the then-Michigan defensive coordinator offered him as an eighth-grader. Cornerback Isaiah Rutherford was seeking a second chance at a fresh start. Defensive lineman JB Brown and linebacker Jerry Roberts were looking for someplace to play their final year of college football.

The common thread: Don Brown — the charismatic, impassioned, boisterous, old-school coach affectionately known as “Dr. Blitz.”

“Oh my God, a huge factor,” said Rutherford, who appeared in 12 games over two seasons at Arizona and had the game-clinching pick-six Saturday.

“Coach Brown, since I met him in 2021, he's just been a huge mentor to me and my family. My parents love him. Everyone in my family loves him. I love him. The players love him. Old coaches, old staff that are still here love him. It says a lot about him and the type of guy he is.”

In many ways, UMass is a step down for Rutherford. He began his college career at Notre Dame. He transferred to Arizona, another Power Five program. UMass is something of a “Last Chance U” for him and many others on the roster.

But Rutherford had Brown in his corner, and that meant everything.

“ ‘Rut’ just said it to me out here: ‘Coach, you always believed in me,’ ” Brown said. “Whether I did, didn't, and I always did ... I'm good to the players. My whole thing is about getting them better, coaching them hard.”

Brown coached them until the final whistle Saturday, even though the game had been decided by that point. The Aggies were in the red zone, threatening to score. Brown stood on the playing field, several yards off the sideline, hands on knees, barking instructions.

NMSU did end up scoring a touchdown with no time left that tightened the final margin and concluded a wild fourth quarter that featured 48 points. The “Week Zero” matchup between two programs lacking in resources and boasting only two winning seasons between them since UMass joined the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2012 had plenty of rough patches.

The game was delayed briefly in the second quarter because an unauthorized drone was flying around the stadium. In the third, the contest was halted — twice — because of a “chain malfunction.” In the fourth, the game clock had to be reset several times because the clock operator wasn’t following the new stoppage rules.

By the end, the Minutemen couldn’t have cared less about any of that. They hugged. They danced. Some shouted, “I believe!” All that was missing was a Gatorade shower for Brown.

“I've been through the thick and thin of this game,” the 68-year-old coach said. “I love the challenge. I'm not afraid of the challenge. But it's nice to see the guys bear fruit from their labor.

“This is it, baby. I'm here till Ryan (Bamford, UMass’ director of athletics) throws me out the door or I gotta go. If I was going to hurt the players because of my inability to do whatever, I'm out the gate doing 98. Right now, I still think I have a lot to offer this game.”

After watching Brown inspire and coach up his troops, from redshirt freshmen to grad students to former Arizona Wildcats, no one could dispute that.