Mark Michaels - Football Coach - University of Massachusetts Athletics

Mark Michaels

Title:
Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers
Email:
mmichaels@umass.edu
Phone:
545-2026

Season at Massachusetts: Third
Alma Mater: Connecticut, '86

Longtime college and NFL coach Mark Michaels joined head coach Mark Whipple’s staff as special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach in Jan., 2015. Michaels returns to familiar territory as he helped the Minutemen win the Division I-AA National Championship as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator in 1998.

Michaels has spent a large portion of his career coaching alongside Whipple since the pair first worked together in 1988 at the University of New Haven. Following his coaching start as a graduate assistant in New Haven from 1987-90, Michaels also worked at Brown (1993-97), UMass (1998), with the Cleveland Browns (1999-00), Seattle Seahawks (2001-04), Jacksonville Jaguars (2005-06) and at Fordham (2007).

Under Michaels, on the special teams units in 2015, Logan Laurent ranked No. 3 in the MAC, averaging 42.2 yards per punt and recorded 13 punts of at least 50 yards, with a long of 56. Laurent also converted 8-of-12 field goal attempts, with a long of 48, and was perfect on all 25 PATs

Also in 2015, Trey Dudley-Giles earned second-team All-MAC honors at the punt return position with 113 yards on 13 returns.

Prior to his return to Amherst, Michaels was the defensive and special teams coordinator and a health teacher at Ridgeview High School in Orange Park, Fla. Starting his stint in 2008, Michaels helped Ridgeview reach the Florida state playoffs three-consecutive years (2010-12), advance to the third round of the 4A Playoffs in 2008 and set school records for wins (nine, 2009), blocked kicks (2009) and return touchdowns (2009).

While at Fordham, Michaels helped the Rams reach the FCS playoffs in 2007. That season, Fordham had the nation's No. 1 net punt and punt coverage rank across the FCS and BCS divisions. In addition to his work as co-special teams coordinator, he coached the defensive line for a unit that ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the Patriot League for tackles for loss and quarterback sacks, respectively.

His return to the collegiate ranks came after spending eight years coaching in the NFL. He started in the professional ranks with the Cleveland Browns in 1999 before being promoted to special teams coordinator in 2000.

Michaels then moved on to the Seattle Seahawks where he rose to special teams coordinator after spending three years as an assistant special teams coach. During his tenure there, Seattle made the playoffs twice, Alex Bannister was named to the Pro Bowl (2003), the Seahawks finished first in the NFL for punt return yardage defense (2003) and Josh Brown was second in the NFL for field goal percentage (23-of-25, 92.0%, 2004).

His last stint in the NFL was with Jacksonville during the 2005-06 season as the assistant special teams coach. There, Michaels helped the Jaguars rank No. 1 during the 2005 season in overall offensive and defensive drive start position while Maurice Jones Drew ranked 3rd in the NFL in kickoff return average in 2006.

Prior to his NFL coaching career, Michaels was the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at UMass during the 1998 I-AA Championship run. That season, he helped linebackers Khari Samuel and Kole Ayi flourish. Samuel finished the year as a first-team all-America pick, while Ayi set the UMass single-season tackle record.

The 1998 season marked the third time Michaels served with Whipple. The pair worked together while at Brown where Michaels was the linebackers, secondary and special teams coach from 1993-97. His collegiate coaching career started in 1987 at New Haven where he was a graduate assistant coaching the defensive line and linebackers.

Between his stints at New Haven and Brown, Michaels was the head coach of the Helsinki (Finland) Roosters during the 1991 campaign, leading the team to the Finnish Maple League title. He then served for one season as linebackers coach for the Utah Pioneers of the Professional Spring Football League before entering private business as an account executive for Dun & Bradstreet.

Michaels is a 1986 graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he was a two-time All-New England First-Team selection and the Yankee Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 1985. His 13 sacks in 1984 is still tied as the UConn single-season record while his 27 career sacks rank second in program history. He signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Cardinals in 1986 before beginning his coaching career.

Michaels and his wife, Mary, have two children, Grace and Max.