Welcome To The Command
We’re at the start of a new era of UMass Football! There has literally never been a more important time to rally the support of the alumni & fans. Quite frankly though, they need a reason to believe.
Fortunately, we have a leader in Joe Harasymiak who can provide that reason. At his introductory press conference, Joe challenged supporters to “be the light.”
The Minuteman Command is us doing our part to answer that call.
With our collective strengths & experiences, we will shine a light on the changes being made and the excitement ahead.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Subscribe to the Minuteman Command Newsletter and you can expect at least one piece of high-quality content to be dropped in your inbox every weekday.
Through a level of coverage the program has never before received, the UMass fanbase will learn why they should be hopeful and - more importantly - excited about what is to come.
We will strategically cover the program with content to educate on several levels. Command readers will get to know the coaches & players deeper than ever before.
Command readers will have access to learn the game in unique ways.
Our resident Command Coaches will take you inside the playbook. You’ll learn the schemes, why a play did or didn’t work and eventually, you’ll be able to see it all unfold for yourself in real-time from a more informed lens.
You’ll see the potential the coaches see in recruits & transfer targets long before they ever choose UMass. We’ll track the Minutemen’s progress on the recruiting trail from the beginning of the journey to the end. You’ll know who the top targets are - and why - long before National Signing Day.
Minuteman Command will be FREE for the foreseeable future, but the plan is to convert to a ‘freemium’ model down the road. But even then, everybody can expect plenty of in-depth UMass coverage at no charge.
THE FLAGSHIP🚩POD
UMass grads Rene Ingoglia and Mike Corey will launch The Flagship🚩 Pod soon. This show will be a can’t-miss for diehard UMass fans, supporters of the MAC and anybody passionate about the Group of 5 programs or College Football in general.
Each week, Mike and Rene will dive deep into the world of College Football; bringing you expert insights and analysis on the Minutemen, the Mid-American Conference, Group of 5 teams as well as the national landscape.
THE NEW ERA HAS ARRIVED
There will be some ups and downs along the way, but we’re certain it’ll be a fun ride and we’d be honored to have you take it with us.
Fight!
Command Team
Christian McCollum ‘04
A UMass grad, Christian brings a wealth of experience as a sports reporter. He began working in the Sports Department at The Republican in Springfield while earning his Journalism degree from UMass.
After 10 years at The Republican, Christian moved to South Bend, Ind., where he was the beat reporter covering Notre Dame Football & Basketball teams on a daily basis for Irish Sports Daily.
In 2011, Christian moved back to Western Mass., where he’s covered Irish recruiting for ISD full-time ever since, reporting on the nation’s top recruits year in and year out.
David Beaudin
Another Massachusetts native, Dave played running back and was a captain at Merrimack College before beginning his coaching career at his alma mater. He has more than 20 years of coaching experience at both the college and high school level, having coached four U.S. Army All-Americans and 26 future FBS players as head coach at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, Texas.
He was Lead Analyst for FrogsToday.com, covering TCU during its run to the National Championship in the 2022 season. He’s currently an assistant coach for Trinity College in San Antonio.
Tommy Guy
A New Jersey native, Tommy has been a Western Mass. resident since enrolling at AIC in Springfield back in 1999. Tommy finished his career at AIC as the most prolific passer in program history. The career record-holder in total offense (9,229), passing yards (9,247), pass attempts (1,162), completions (636) and touchdown passes (73), he was inducted into the AIC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Tommy has decades of experience coaching at the college and high school level and is currently one of the most respected quarterback trainers in New England as lead instructor at Air It Out Academy.
Tommy currently tutors multiple current FBS signal-callers, including Virginia Tech’s Pop Watson, Georgia’s Ryan Puglisi and UConn’s Tucker McDonald.
Rene Ingoglia ‘96
A UMass football legend, Rene was inducted UMass Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. A standout running back for the Minutemen, Rene earned first-team All-American honors in 1995. A three-time All-Conference selection, he was named to the Yankee Conference 50th Anniversary Team. His 55 career touchdowns, rank second in UMass history and eighth in FCS history.
Following his college career, he played for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. He also had a successful stint in NFL Europe with the Frankfurt Galaxy, scoring a touchdown to help the Galaxy win the 1999 World Bowl.
He’s been a prominent college football analyst for ESPN since 2010, and has become a key voice in the network’s college football coverage.
Beyond football, Rene dedicated over 20 years to the Orlando Police Department.
Mike Corey ‘99
Another UMass grad, Mike is a seasoned play-by-play commentator for ESPN. Since 2011, Mike has called college football games across every FBS conference, including over 15 bowl games. His expertise extends to college basketball, where he calls games featuring Top 25 teams, Atlantic 10 matchups, and American Athletic Conference games, in addition to multiple conference championships and the NIT.
Beyond football and basketball, Mike’s spring schedule is filled with college lacrosse, including NCAA Tournament games and the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse semifinals and championship. He’s also covered NCAA softball and baseball regionals and even called NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship games.
Mike’s impressive career also includes notable stints with NBC, where he served as the voice for three Summer Olympic Games (2016 Rio, 2012 London, 2008 Beijing) covering field hockey. His Olympic experience extends to the Winter Games as well, where he called speedskating for Westwood One Radio during the 2006 Torino and 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Mike has also called NCAA women’s basketball regional finals and worked for CBS and Fox during his career, which began in 2002 with Comcast Sportsnet (now NBC Sports), NESN, and MASN.
