Report: UMass to Hire Florida State Offensive Coordinator Walt Bell as Head Coach

Former UMass head coach Mark Whipple stepped down on Nov. 21.

UMass will hire Florida State offensive coordinator Walt Bell as the 30th head coach in program history, according to Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel. Bell reportedly agreed to a five-year contract worth $625,000 annually.

The 34-year-old Bell is slated to be the youngest head coach in the FBS in 2019. He served as Maryland's offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017, working in the same role with Florida State in 2018. The Seminoles finished No. 114 in scoring last season. The Terrapins ranked No. 89 and No. 100 in scoring in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

UMass has played in the FBS since 2012, failing to register a winning season over the last seven years. Former Minutemen head coach Mark Whipple stepped down on Nov. 20 after five seasons with the program. 

UMass went 4–8 in 2018, averaging 32.8 points per game.