According to sources at UMass and Boston College, BC assistant head coach and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. has emerged as one of the leading contenders to replace Don Brown as the University of Massachusetts next football coach.
Brown resigned last week to become defensive coordinator at the University of Maryland. Bicknell, who is expected to be interviewed by UMass officials this weekend, returned to his alma mater two years ago when he was brought in as Jeff Jagodzinski's offensive line coach. The former BC center, who played on the Doug Flutie led 1984 Cotton Bowl team, applied for the head job at BC when Jagodzinski was fired last week.
When BC hired defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani, Bicknell was left with a choice: remain on Spaziani's staff, with an as yet undefined role, or look elsewhere.
Bicknell has a solid background at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, serving as the head coach at Louisiana Tech from 1999-2006 as well as the Football Championship Subdivision level serving as the defensive line and offensive line coach at New Hampshire from 1987 through 1996. Whether Bicknell wants to return to the FCS level is the unknown factor right now
Another candidate who has emerged at UMass is Kevin Morris, who was Brown's offensive coordinator and quarterback coach both at UMass and Northeastern.