{
  "id": 5285996,
  "title": "UMass is asking a question few programs ever have to: What comes after 0-12?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/umass-is-asking-a-question-few-programs-ever-have-to-what-comes-after",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-03T08:33:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/umass-asking-few-programs-ever-083340430.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Joe Harasymiak, the coach of UMass football, finds himself in an unprecedented position. He is the head coach of a team that has never won a game in a decade. In 2025, UMass reached its lowest point, with a winless 0-12 season. This marks the 18th time a team has gone winless since the expansion to a 12-game schedule in 2006. Despite the bleak outlook, Harasymiak maintains confidence in the team's potential. UMass football has a rich history, with the program consistently winning in the 1970s and reaching the FCS championship in 1998. However, the transition to FBS in 2012 proved challenging, as UMass struggled with an overall win percentage of just 19.7%. The team's lack of a solid foundation and an aligned vision for football have been cited as key factors in its failure to improve. With the return to the MAC in 2025 and the hiring of Joe Harasymiak, there is some renewed optimism for the program's future.",
  "summary": "Rock bottom? UMass already found it. Now comes the hard part: Convincing everyone the worst program in FBS football doesn't have to stay there.",
  "key_points": [
    "UMass football has never won a game in a decade.",
    "2025 marks the 18th winless season for UMass.",
    "Joe Harasymiak aims to rebuild the program's foundation."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}