University of Massachusets Athletics
Massachusetts Athletics Mourns Loss Of Paul Gorham
June 12, 2018 | Football
Long-time football coach, operations director passes away at 57
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Athletics and the football program mourn the death of Director of Football Operations Paul Gorham. Gorham, who passed away on Sat., June 9 at the age of 57, completed his fourth season as the team's operations director in 2017 following a long career as a coach at the collegiate level, including with the Minutemen.
"Paul was an unbelievable person and a true friend that was as trustworthy and genuine as anyone I have ever known," UMass football head coach Mark Whipple said. "He was a phenomenal coach and a great recruiter, and I was blessed to be able to work alongside him for two decades. So much of the success I've had throughout my career is because of who he was as a friend and a coach."
In addition to his tenure as the UMass football director of operations, Gorham served as an assistant coach with the program alongside Whipple from 1999-2003. He departed Massachusetts for the head coaching position at Sacred Heart, which Gorham held from 2004-11 before idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory disease, forced Gorham to step away from coaching and ultimately required him to undergo a double lung transplant and double leg amputation.
Gorham was an all-Yankee Conference tight end at the University of New Hampshire from 1980-83, where he also began his professional career as a graduate assistant from 1986-87. Gorham previously worked alongside Whipple at the University of New Haven (1988-93) and Brown (1994-98) in addition to their shared tenures at Massachusetts.
Information regarding services for Gorham will be shared on the UMass football Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages (@UMassFootball) if it is made publicly available by the Gorham family.
"Paul was an unbelievable person and a true friend that was as trustworthy and genuine as anyone I have ever known," UMass football head coach Mark Whipple said. "He was a phenomenal coach and a great recruiter, and I was blessed to be able to work alongside him for two decades. So much of the success I've had throughout my career is because of who he was as a friend and a coach."
In addition to his tenure as the UMass football director of operations, Gorham served as an assistant coach with the program alongside Whipple from 1999-2003. He departed Massachusetts for the head coaching position at Sacred Heart, which Gorham held from 2004-11 before idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory disease, forced Gorham to step away from coaching and ultimately required him to undergo a double lung transplant and double leg amputation.
Gorham was an all-Yankee Conference tight end at the University of New Hampshire from 1980-83, where he also began his professional career as a graduate assistant from 1986-87. Gorham previously worked alongside Whipple at the University of New Haven (1988-93) and Brown (1994-98) in addition to their shared tenures at Massachusetts.
Information regarding services for Gorham will be shared on the UMass football Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages (@UMassFootball) if it is made publicly available by the Gorham family.
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