AMHERST, Mass. - UMass Football Coach Kevin Morris announced Monday that Joe Tricario will be joining the Minutemen as the Special Teams Coordinator beginning in the 2011 season. Tricario comes to Amherst after spending the past five seasons as the special teams coordinator/ defensive coordinator at Stony Brook University, where the Sea Wolves finished the 2010 season with a 6-5 record.
"UMass Football is very excited about the addition of Joe Tricario to the staff," Coach Morris said. "Joe has a strong history coaching on both the college and professional levels. His expertise with special teams and defense will be a great asset to the UMass Football program."
Tricario helped Stony Brook to the third highest scoring defense in the Big South last season at 25.6 points allowed per game while also leading the conference in kickoff return average (22.1). In 2008 he had one of his linebackers earn all-conference honors and in 2007 he helped coach a defense that finished 25th in the nation among FCS schools in total defense and 17th in passing defense while causing 27 turnovers.
Tricario joined the Stony Brook staff in December of 2005 after eight years at Fordham University, where he worked for five seasons with the Rams as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator. Tricario also worked at Fordham as an assistant coach with special teams and wide receivers during the 1994 season.
Tricario arrived at Fordham after spending the previous three years as the wide receivers coach at Lafayette College. Prior to his stint at Lafayette, Tricario was on the staff of the Canadian Football League's (CFL) Toronto Argonauts as the special teams coordinator and receivers coach in 1995.
Tricario is a 1983 graduate of Cortland State where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education.
