Thorr Bjorn

Any other UMass sports talk? Softball, Rowing, Athletic Dept, etc, find it in here.
Post Reply
User avatar
MikeUMA
Site Admin
Posts: 12419
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 11:11 pm
Location: Norwalk, CT
Contact:

Thorr Bjorn

Post by MikeUMA » Fri Jun 13, 2025 3:40 pm

Quick recap for those who might not know: Thorr Bjorn was a UM student and footballer, graduating in 1990. He played defensive tackle. He stayed with UM, working in the Athletic Department for many years, and was our interim AD in between Ian McCaw and John McCutcheon (in 2003-04). He worked for McCutcheon for a few years, then got the AD job at Rhody in summer 2007.

I just noticed that Rhody recently elevated his title, to VP for Athletics, and extended his contract thru Spring 2030.
https://atlantic10.com/news/2025/6/12/a ... ident.aspx

Congrats to him. He's a quality dude.

The Rhody board take on his elevated title and extension: https://keaneyblue.com/viewtopic.php?t=10398

User avatar
MikeUMA
Site Admin
Posts: 12419
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 11:11 pm
Location: Norwalk, CT
Contact:

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by MikeUMA » Fri Jun 13, 2025 3:42 pm

Sidebar:
It didn't make his official football stats, but Thorr added one more tackle in his career, in Mullins in 1996.
https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id ... collegian1

User avatar
Old Cage
Hall of Fame
Posts: 7482
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: The Eastern Provinces

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by Old Cage » Sat Jun 14, 2025 8:46 am

^ My memory is that Thorr, who was a large lad, vaulted over the scorer's table - near the UMass bench - to do the takedown. Is that correct?
"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

User avatar
LS71
Hall of Fame
Posts: 8813
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 8:55 pm
Location: Lost in Space

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by LS71 » Sat Jun 14, 2025 4:23 pm

^ FWIW… my memory is that he was crouched next to the end of the scorer’s nearer the visitors bench and pounced from there.
"Win without boasting, lose without crying." -- Julius Erving

User avatar
Old Cage
Hall of Fame
Posts: 7482
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: The Eastern Provinces

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by Old Cage » Sat Jun 14, 2025 7:28 pm

LS - The view from your seat was much better than mine.
"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

umiejoe
Freshman
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2023 9:45 pm

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by umiejoe » Mon Jun 16, 2025 8:21 pm

I remember hearing it on the radio, Coudn't believe what I was hearing. I don't think it ever happened before or after at any college basketball game. Those were the days.

User avatar
InnervisionsUMASS
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19011
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 1:32 am
Location: Milford, MA
Contact:

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Wed Jun 18, 2025 8:48 am

Congrats, Thorr!
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

doubledribble
Junior
Posts: 519
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:38 pm
Location: Planet Earth

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by doubledribble » Sun Jun 22, 2025 8:34 pm

Thorr is a great guy! I have know him since he was an assistant ticket manger under Wally Novak during the Cage days !

inthescoop
Hall of Fame
Posts: 6044
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 7:40 pm
Location: LA

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by inthescoop » Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:20 pm

doubledribble wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 8:34 pm Thorr is a great guy! I have know him since he was an assistant ticket manger under Wally Novak during the Cage days !
Wally Novak sounds like a fun Polish guy

doubledribble
Junior
Posts: 519
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:38 pm
Location: Planet Earth

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by doubledribble » Mon Jun 23, 2025 8:48 am

inthescoop wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:20 pm
doubledribble wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 8:34 pm Thorr is a great guy! I have know him since he was an assistant ticket manger under Wally Novak during the Cage days !
Wally Novak sounds like a fun Polish guy
Sure is .. Polak from Hadley :D

User avatar
LS71
Hall of Fame
Posts: 8813
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 8:55 pm
Location: Lost in Space

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by LS71 » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:20 am

doubledribble wrote: Sun Jun 22, 2025 8:34 pm Thorr is a great guy! I have know him since he was an assistant ticket manger under Wally Novak during the Cage days !
That’s how I met him as well.

Wally was a good man.
"Win without boasting, lose without crying." -- Julius Erving

doubledribble
Junior
Posts: 519
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:38 pm
Location: Planet Earth

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by doubledribble » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:38 am

Yes indeed !

User avatar
Old Cage
Hall of Fame
Posts: 7482
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: The Eastern Provinces

Re: Thorr Bjorn

Post by Old Cage » Tue Jul 01, 2025 2:59 pm

Today:

Thorr Bjorn @thorrbjorn
Anyone have some photos of the 1996 @UMassMBB game vs. Lasalle on 2/15 at the @MullinsCenter,
sometime in the 2nd half???? Asking for a friend!!!! We need to get some things cleared up!!😂 @MarcusCamby23
@CoachCalArk
"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

User avatar
InnervisionsUMASS
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19011
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 1:32 am
Location: Milford, MA
Contact:

Thorr Returning - new Senior Deputy AD - Football specific duties (for now..)

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Wed Nov 05, 2025 10:50 am

https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1986096188064452992

Sources: UMass is hiring longtime Rhode Island athletic director Thorr Bjorn as the school’s new senior deputy athletic director. He’s a UMass football alum (1990), and he’ll oversee the football program at UMass.


Possibly an exit strategy for Bamford as well as we move forward.

Follow up tweet:
https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1986096190874701838
Along with football admin duties, Bjorn will also be the Chief Administrative Officer. UMass AD Ryan Bamford recruited Bjorn, and the newly created position speaks to the priority of football on campus. He’s been URI AD for 18 years.
Last edited by InnervisionsUMASS on Wed Nov 05, 2025 11:01 am, edited 4 times in total.
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

Old-School
Junior
Posts: 306
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 8:40 pm

Re: Thorr Returning

Post by Old-School » Wed Nov 05, 2025 10:51 am

Wow.

Post Reply