AMHERST, Mass. — Bob Pickett, a
former football coach at Massachusetts who led the Minutemen to four
Yankee Conference championships, has died. He was 75.
The school said in a statement
Wednesday that Pickett died Tuesday in Florida. UMass associate
athletic director Jason Yellin said Pickett's family informed the
university of his death. Yellin said he did not have details about the
cause of death.
Pickett, a native of Augusta, Maine,
joined UMass as defensive coordinator in 1971. He became head coach in
1978 and led UMass to the first NCAA Division I-AA championship game
that year. Massachusetts lost 35-28 to Florida A&M, but Pickett was
honored as coach of the year by the Eastern College Athletic
Conference.
Pickett coached the Minutemen until 1983, compiling a 36-28 record. He was associate athletic director until he retired in 1997.
He is survived by his wife, Sylvia, and three children.