The University of Massachusetts football team was atrociously bad last season, the Minutemen already pulled off a massive upset in Week 1 of 2026. On Thursday the team defeated Rutgers out of the Big Ten on the road by a score of 37-21. UMass entered the game as 29.5-point underdogs but never looked like it, snapping a 16-game losing streak that dated back to October 2024.
first win for UMass since October 26, 2024
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) September 4, 2026
first win against an FBS opponent since October 28, 2023
first win against a power conference opponent ....... since moving up to FBS in 2012
So what caused the sudden turnaround? It must've been diamond-in-the-rough transfers or the new head coach, right? Or perhaps it was because of who wasn't there for Massachusetts.
Former offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian departed the program after last season, and it's pretty clear as to why. The team's ability to score was at an abysmally low level: UMass failed to score more than 22 points against any opponent in 2025 but managed to put up 24 on the board against Rutgers in the first half. The problem was clearly identified and removed, but despite last year's misery, Bajakian's career didn't take a downward turn. His new employer, however, could regret elevating him to its staff.
Cleveland Browns relying on UMass' old OC to fix Deshaun Watson
Bajakian somehow managed to land himself an NFL job as the Cleveland Browns' quarterbacks coach. That means one of the league's worst teams and most stagnant offenses last year turned to one of college football's most inept offensive minds to turn starter Deshaun Watson and backup Shedeur Sanders into viable weapons. Yeah, good luck with that.
It feels like a recipe for disaster bringing in a coach who hasn't stuck with a single program since he was Northwestern's offensive coordinator from 2020-23. In two of those four campaigns, the Wildcats managed four total wins and were outscored 688-364. Not the greatest of resumes, if anyone is being completely honest.
Bajakian hasn't even worked with any high-profile quarterbacks in recent years. UMass QBs Brandon Rose, Grant Jordan and AJ Hairston weren't exactly putting themselves on the Davey O'Brien Award watchlist with a combined 1,976 passing yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions across 12 consecutive losses.
The closest Bajakian can claim to training real talent was when he was with Utah in 2024 and had Cam Rising at his disposal. However, Rising was notably absent with injuries most of that year, so freshman Isaac Wilson was handling the majority of snaps in Salt Lake City. None of it amounts to warranting a promotion to the NFL.
But the Browns are the Browns, and perhaps this is their version of desperate measures calling for ... unique solutions. Watson has just one last chance to prove he has what it takes as an NFL starter (he's still only 30) with Sanders and Dillon Gabriel still very raw and undeveloped. Fans shouldn't hold their breath, though, if Bajakian's past is any indicator. He is no QB guru.
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