Don Brown Announces Coordinators to Football Staff

AMHERST, Mass. – Don Brown announces the addition of Keith Dudzinski and Steve Casula to the Massachusetts football staff. Dudzinski is set to serve as the Massachusetts defensive coordinator, while Brown has chosen former Michigan Analyst Steve Casula to run the offense and serve as the quarterbacks coach. Ben Albert has been named special teams coordinator and defensive line coach.

Defensive Coordinator Keith Dudzkinski spent last season with Brown at Arizona. Before UMass, Jedd Fisch's announced the addition of Dudzinski to his first staff at Arizona in January of 2021. Dudzinski will served as Arizona's linebackers coach while also assisted the program's special teams unit.

Dudzinski brought 30 years of coaching experience to Arizona and joined the Wildcats after spending the 2020 season as a defensive analyst under Don Brown during the pair's time at Michigan. Dudzinski's defensive coaching career sees four stints as a defensive coordinator at Albany (2018-19), Maryland (2015), Massachusetts (2004-10), and Northeastern (2003). He has coached five NFL Draft picks, including three in the top 100 and one first round selection in safety Darnell Savage Jr.

Dudzinski's helped guide the Minutemen defense to top-20 rankings nationally in total defense in three different seasons. UMass was also first in scoring defense in 2005 and fifth nationally the following season.
He spent two seasons on staff at Northeastern, including the Huskies' 2002 banner season with a mark of 10-3, a share of an Atlantic-10 title and the program's first ever FCS playoff appearance.

Casula comes from the University of Michigan where he served as an Offensive Analyst since March of 2019. Casula worked directly for Josh Gattis and the Michigan Offense, serving in a variety of roles until he was elevated to Senior Analyst after the 2020 season. While on staff with the Wolverines, he helped lead the program to a 12-2 record and Michigan's first College Football Playoff appearance.

Before Michigan, Steve Casula served as an assistant at Ferris State joining the staff in March of 2017. He served as the offensive coordinator, also taking the tight ends and running backs in the 2018 season. Prior to Farris State, Casula served as the interim head coach at Davenport University.

In his first season, Ferris State reached the D2 Playoffs for the fourth year in a row in 2017, finishing with an 11-2 record while making its second-straight national quarterfinal showing.

Prior to his arrival in Amherst, Ben Albert spent the last six seasons on staff at Duke University , serving as the Co-Defensive Coordinator and defensive line coach. Albert was Duke's Associate Defensive Coordinator for two seasons before being promoted to associate head coach in February 2018.

Last season, Albert saw his two veteran defensive ends, Chris Rumph II and Victor Dimukeje, drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals, in the fourth and sixth rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft, respectively. For the second straight year, Albert coached those two to All-ACC honors with Rumph II being named to the second team and Dimukeje earning honorable mention nods.

Albert joined the Blue Devil staff after spending the previous three seasons (2013-14-15) coaching the defensive line at Boston College. In 2015, the Eagles led the country in total defense (254.3), third down conversion defense (.241) and tackles for loss per game (9.6) while also ranking among the nation's top five in rushing defense (2nd; 82.8), scoring defense (4th; 15.3) and passing efficiency defense (5th; 104.66). During his tenure, Albert helped Boston College to bowl game appearances in 2013 (Advocare v100 Independence) and 2014 (New Era Pinstripe).

Prior to his three campaigns in Chestnut Hill, Albert served two seasons (2011-12) as the linebackers coach at Temple University. In 2011, he helped the Owls rank third nationally in scoring defense (13.9) as Temple posted a 9-4 overall record and defeated Wyoming, 37-15, in the New Mexico Bowl, for the program's first bowl victory in 32 years.

After one season (2001) mentoring the defensive front at Rutgers, Albert returned to Massachusetts for two seasons (2002-03) to coach the inside linebackers while coordinating the special teams units. During this stretch, he helped the Minutemen to the 2003 Atlantic 10 Conference championship and aided in the recruitment of fellow Paterson native wide receiver Victor Cruz to Massachusetts.

Albert then served a second stint at Richmond (2004) as defensive line coach and special teams coordinator before a four-year (2006-07-08-09) tenure as the associate head coach and linebackers coach at Delaware.

An all-conference defensive lineman at Massachusetts, Albert graduated in 1995 with a degree in political science and sociology. He later earned a master's degree in education from Massachusetts in 1997.

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