The head football coach fired by UMass Amherst this week, a $1.4 million buyout is planned from the school, according to a spokesperson.

Don Brown had a few years left on his contract. With two games remaining in the season, UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford announced the “change of direction“, with offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery named interim coach.

UMass might not owe Brown the full buyout. If he gets another coaching job, his new salary will be deducted from what UMass owes, according to athletic department spokesman Daniel Colleran.

Colleran didn’t know where the money would come from.

At a news conference Tuesday, Montgomery began by thanking Brown, who hired him last winter.

“We owe him a great debt of gratitude for what he has invested in this program, and we wish him and his family well as he continues his efforts,” he said.

Brown previously worked at Amherst twice, as defensive coordinator from 1998-99 and as head coach from 2004-08 – when he accumulated a 43-19 record.

When he last attended UMass, with the school now playing in college football’s top division, Brown’s record was 6-28.

Montgomery said the players took the news hard.

“It’s never an easy time and you never know how they’re going to react,” he said. “One is they’re in shock and then… there’s probably anger. Then you just have to try to convince them and try to get this thing going again and get ready for Saturday.”

On Saturday, UMass heads south to face 8th-ranked Georgia.

Asked about the coaching staff’s reaction to Brown’s firing, Montgomery acknowledged some “harsh” feelings.

“When you’re married or engaged and you have kids and a family, I mean, the uncertainty and, you know, what’s it going to be like in a month?” he said. “That’s the most important thing. But when you get into this business, you realize that it can happen.”

A national search for a new head coach is underway.

Colleran said several upcoming dates influenced the timing of the leadership change. He said it’s necessary for UMass to be “organized and positioned” for the high school signing period, which begins Dec. 4, as well as the transfer portal window, which opens Dec. 9.

During the transfer window, UMass could lose its current players to another college or university. UMass could also try to attract new students.

In recent years, UMass has been one of the few independent schools in college football. This will change next season, when the school joins the Mid-American Conference.