DARTMOUTH, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Director of Athletics & Recreation, Lori Hendricks, announced the retirement of Head Football Coach Mark Robichaud and the appointment of Josh Sylvester as the fourth head coach of the Corsair football program.
"Mark Robichaud's commitment to his team members' personal growth and development is the gold standard," Hendricks said. "I watched him teach and instruct young men not just in the sport of football, but also in the game of life. It is a high bar that has been set for Coach Sylvester and I have no doubt that he will build on Coach Robichaud's success to write the next chapter of Corsair football."
"I want to commend Coach Mark Robichaud for an incredible career. As we just saw this past season, he elevated not only the UMass Dartmouth Football program but our entire University's reputation as champions," said Chancellor Mark A. Fuller. "While Mark will be missed, I am excited to have Josh Sylvester take over as our new head coach. I am confident Coach Sylvester will continue strengthening our program and achieving success."
Robichaud, the first full-time head coach in program history, guided UMass Dartmouth to an overall record of 70-81, including a 25-7 mark over the past three contested seasons, during his 16 seasons tenure. He is second in wins and winning percentage (.464) in program history. Under his direction, the Corsairs captured the program's first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, advanced to the NCAA Division III Playoffs, and raised the New England Football Bowl Championship trophy.
"It has been my absolute privilege to serve as the head coach of the UMass Dartmouth football program for the past 16 seasons," Robichaud said. "I would like to thank the administration of the University and all those in the athletic department for their tremendous support over that time. I especially would like to thank the football staff and the players for all their incredible sacrifice, determination, and focus. The football program is now in great hands as Josh Sylvester takes over. Josh has incredible passion and enthusiasm and will take the program to the next level. The University could not have made a better decision and I know that the staff and the players feel the same way."
Robichaud has mentored 54 all-conference selections, including five players of the year (offensive and lineman) and three rookies of the year (offensive, defensive). He coached the second All-American in program history, Pat Sullivan '17, and six D3Football.com All-Region selections, including three first- team picks. Junior Dante Aviles-Santos recently earned the prestigious Joe Zabilski Award, which recognized New England's top offensive player in Divisions II/III, and the New England Football Writers Association Season Golden Helmet Award.
UMass Dartmouth was selected as the 2022 MASCAC Coaching Staff of the Year after posting an overall record of 9-2, matching the program's second highest win total. The Corsairs were undefeated against conference opponents to earn the automatic berth into the NCAA Division III tournament, the second invitation in program history (2002).
UMass Dartmouth also enjoyed success in the classroom under Robichaud as a 175 student-athletes have earned all-academic distinction since the start of the 2013 campaign. Jacob Burkhead '21 became the first Corsair in school history to earn multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, while Nick Hiou '13 and Chris Azevedo '09 joined Burkhead on the All-District teams.
Sylvester has 13 years of collegiate experience on the Corsair sideline, including the past 11 years as the offensive coordinator. He also coached several positional groups, including offensive linemen, running backs, and safeties since joining the staff in 2009.
"I am honored and humbled for the opportunity to be the head football coach at UMass Dartmouth," Sylvester said. "I would like to thank Chancellor Fuller, Vice Chancellor David Gingerella, Vice Chancellor Dean Hickey, and Director of Athletics Lori Hendricks for trusting me to lead this program. I would like to send a special thank you to Coach Mark Robichaud for his tremendous leadership and support. You are an amazing coach, person, mentor, and friend. UMass Dartmouth is a special place and I will work relentlessly to help our players be successful in the classroom and on the field. We will embrace the Win The Rep mentality and attack every interaction and opportunity with great energy, focus, and grit. I am so excited to get started – Go Corsairs!"
The architect of UMass Dartmouth's prolific offensive attack, Sylvester has produced four of the top five scoring seasons and seven of the top eight seasons of total offense in program history. Most recently, the Corsairs established a new single-season standard for passing yards (3,288), passing completion percentage (61.3), passing efficiency (157.1), total offense (5,852), touchdowns (95), all-purpose yards (6,469), and total points scored (449). Aviles, the top offensive player in New England, set nearly every passing record in program history, while sophomore Angel Sanchez broke the single-season receiving yards mark (1181). Sylvester also demonstrated his versatility in play calling by mentoring Eddie Sheridan '16, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark (1087) in 2016.
During his more than a decade long role as offensive coordinator, Sylvester has developed 20 All- MASCAC selections and seven major award winners. Stephen Gacioch '21 and Aviles-Santos were both named the top offensive player and offensive rookie in the conference, while Sheridan was tabbed as the offensive player of the year (2016). Pat Sullivan and Antonio Mitjans represented the Corsairs as Offensive Linemen of the Year. UMass Dartmouth placed a program-best two student-athletes on the D3Football.com All-Region first-team in this season, when Aviles-Santos and Sanchez earned regional accolades.
Sylvester is no stranger to UMass Dartmouth as he served in University Advancement and Admissions for the past seven years. He recently served as the Director of Alumni Relations where Sylvester coordinated and implemented alumni events, programs, and initiatives to support the Alumni Association of UMass Law Alumni Association. Prior to his time with University Advancement, Sylvester served as an Assistant Director of Admissions and Admissions Counselor.
A 2005 graduate of Babson College, Sylvester holds a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship & finance. He earned a master's degree organizational leadership from UMass Dartmouth in 2020.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:
"The University wants to thank Mark for his amazing work with the Corsairs football team and to welcome Josh to his new role," UMass Dartmouth Vice Chancellor of Administration, David Gingerella said. "We all wish Mark the very best in his retirement and want to assure Josh that he has our full backing as he moves from the Offensive Coordinator's position to our new Head Football Coach."
"Mark Robichaud has been a solid 16-year veteran Football Coach for the MASCAC, MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann said. "We are extremely proud of the football program he has built on the field and in the classrooms at UMASS Dartmouth. Mark retires from the MASCAC as a champion highlighted by this year's regular season MASCAC Football Championship season and NCAA appearance, as well as last year's New England Football Bowl victory. In addition to football wins, his program saw countless student-athletes highlighted on the all-conference and all-academic team during his tenure. Mark leaves the Corsairs as champions and we are excited to see the new heights the program will reach under long-time Assistant Coach Josh Sylvester."
"There is nobody who has done more for UMass Dartmouth in the past 10 years than Coach Sylvester, Stephen Gacioch said. "The amount of time and effort he has dedicated to make UMassD a better place both on and off the field is astonishing. There is no one better qualified for the job. As a former player of Coach Sylvester, he pushed me every day to become not only a better player but a better man. The strides I took in my life while playing for him were beyond my own belief. The thing I never realized until I started coaching with him, is the endless hours and effort he puts in to make sure every student athlete has the greatest possible opportunity to succeed. With Coach Sylvester leading this program, the rise of UMass Dartmouth football will continue and reach new limits. Get ready to see a whole lot of points scored on Cressy Field come fall!"
