AMHERST, Mass. — Massachusetts head football coach Don Brown has resigned to become the defensive coordinator at Maryland.

UMass athletic director John McCutcheon made the announcement Friday and said a national search will begin immediately for a new coach.

In his five seasons as head coach, Brown went 43-19 leading the Minutemen to two NCAA tournaments, including the 2006 NCAA title game. In 2006 and 2007, Brown led UMass to a 23-5 overall record with a 14-0 mark at home.

Brown said he was proud of his time at UMass and that the school will always have a special place in his heart.

Before coming to UMass, Brown served as head coach at Northeastern and Plymouth State.