UMass became the latest school earlier this week to put its fall sports schedule -- including college football -- on hold because of concerns about the coronavirus.

UMass, an independent at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, joined Connecticut, Old Dominion, the Mid-American Conference and the Mountain West Conference in postponing the season. Later, the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big East conferences also postponed their seasons.

Walt Bell, the Minutemen head coach, was especially displeased with the season’s postponement.

“I’ll tell you guys the same way I told my players. You know, my dad passed away in 2008, my biological mom OD’d in 2012. And to be honest with you, this is probably a tougher day than both of those days,” Bell told reporters Tuesday, according to The Athletic.

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“You know, it’s one thing when it’s in your own family and you’ve got a job to do and be the caretaker for the other people, but when you’ve got to go look, 100, some odd, or 109 18-to-21-year-old kids in the face and tell them that their dreams aren’t gonna come true, that’s a devastating deal.”

Bell explained the emotional toll the decision had on him in a separate interview with The Athletic.

“To be honest, it’s miserable. It’s not just your life, it’s their lives. All the sacrifices those kids have made, it’s a really tough deal. It’s heartbreaking. You spend your whole life as a coach and a mentor,” he said.

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Bell was entering his second seas as UMass head coach. The team was 1-11 last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.