UMass TE Room Buying Into Harasymiak’s Culture Change
UMass TE coach Matt Layman is impressed with his group’s progress.
AMHERST, Mass. - It’s been clear the culture head coach Joe Harasymiak is trying to establish has been infectious. Tight ends coach Matt Layman has seen this spread to not only his skill group, but the entire team.
“Coach Harasymiak has done a great job building a foundation with this program,” said Layman. “He's been very clear with the direction he wants to go. It's been awesome with the culture that he's bringing, and you can feel it. You can feel it out here, you can feel it in the classroom, you can feel it in the facility.”
Layman credits Harasymiak for helping him grow as a coach.
“I’ve learned a ton from Coach,” he said. “The details and everything that you do, bringing it out of your players, bringing the best out of them, because ultimately it's about them.”
Layman joined the UMass coaching staff in March of 2019. Eventually, he was promoted to tight ends coach in February 2023 after finishing his fourth season with the Minutemen in 2022, serving as an offensive analyst (tight ends).
Layman worked with tight ends Josiah Johnson, who earned Second Team All-Independent Honors in 2022, and Gino Campiotti, a 2023 Phil Steele Postseason All-Independent Conference Second Team honoree.
In 2023, Layman played an integral role in the improvement of the offense, as they averaged 23.2 points per game, which was an 85 percent increase from the previous season.
Before working as an analyst, Layman was a graduate assistant for the offensive line (2021) and running backs (2020).
His work with the offensive line helped put running back Ellis Merriweather’s career on the map, as he became the Minutemen’s first 1,000-yard rusher in the FBS era. He also spent time working with the tight ends and quarterbacks.
Before joining UMass, Layman started his career at Westminster College as a graduate assistant after playing quarterback himself at Robert Morris and Mars Hill University, where he eventually became a captain and All-Conference performer.
Layman is optimistic about the depth of his tight ends and is excited to see what they bring to the table.
Layman spoke highly of Reece Adkins, highlighting his versatility as a pass-catcher and blocker and how that complements the offense.
“He's a big body,” Layman said of Adkins. “He's athletic, he's physical in the run game and pass protection. He can make plays in the pass game, so excited to see what he's going to bring this fall.”
Owen Anderson also brings a good combination of athleticism and skill to the position.
“He adds a nice skillset with his athletic ability and plays with great leverage,” said Layman. “I’m really excited to see where he's going to be when we come this fall.”
Magnus Von Saldern is another name to watch, as Layman expects him to perform well in his role.
“Magnus is a big, big physical dude, so he understands his role and understands what we expect out of him,” he said. “He's going to put his hand in the dirt and grind people out and do a great job for us in the protection game, so he knows what he's going to bring to the table.”
Overall, Layman is optimistic about the direction of the Minutemen under the leadership of Harasymiak.
“He laid out exactly what he really wanted this program to do and where he wanted it to go, and the kids who wanted to be a part of that are still here. The kids that aren't, are not. We're just extremely excited about the direction this place is going.”
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