Clarence Brooks, an all-conference offensive lineman for UMass in the early 1970s, got his start as a coach for the Minutemen in 1976. He worked on the offensive side of the ball for head coach Dick MacPherson, a native of Maine who was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Brooks had not been on the UMass staff very long when a coaching spot opened up with the defensive line.
"Coach MacPherson put me where he needed me," said Brooks, an offensive guard from 1970-72 who graduated from New Bedford High. "He put me on the defensive line and I am still there."
More than 30 years later, Brooks, who graduated from UMass with a degree in sociology, is plying his trade at the highest level. He is in his sixth season as the defensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens, a franchise known for its hard-knocking defense.
