Due to financial reasons, Kendrick Mitchell has resigned his positions as athletic director and boys varsity basketball coach at Shead High School in Eastport.

Mitchell’s resignation was reluctantly accepted by the school board two weeks ago, according to Mitchell and Shead principal Doug Richardson on Tuesday.

“This was strictly a financial situation,” said Richardson. “We’ve had to cut $400,000 – 20 percent – from our school budget. We’ve cut teachers, programs, supplies, positions… everything.”

“Basically, they reduced the AD’s job to three days a week and $2,000 – for what should be a full-time position,” said Mitchell.

“All the positions are kind of up in the air here, and I need to have everything settled. I wouldn’t feel just right taking it this year,” said Mitchell about the basketball job.

The 58-year-old coach led his Tigers to a 13-7 record and a berth in the Eastern Maine Class D semifinal game, where they lost to eventual state champ Machias. His best season was in 1973-74, when he led Shead to an Eastern Maine C title.

Mitchell – whose 22-year varsity basketball coaching career has encompassed four schools: Lee Academy, Woodland, Machias, and Shead, and more than 200 victories – plans to go back to refereeing soccer and basketball actively this fall and winter.

“I enjoy it, and I’ll probably make more money doing that (than being the AD),” explained Mitchell, who added he has also applied to coach basketball at another school.

Would Mitchell consider a return to Shead?

“If things ever got settled in and they still wanted me, I could be back,” he said.

Things are far from settled now, according to both Mitchell and Richardson.

“In my own situation, I know that either the elementary principal or I will lose our job,” said Richardson. “I’m principal until July 31, and then one our positions will be cut.”