Two local schools have filled their boys basketball coaching vacancies with plenty of time to spare before coaches start up their summer hoop programs.

Foxcroft Academy has tabbed former volunteer assistant Al Wentworth to replace Paul Withee, who resigned the job to free up more time for his family, teaching duties, and football coaching responsibilities.

Maine native Larry Judd – head basketball coach at Frontier Regional High School in Deerfield, Mass., the last five years – will take over the boys varsity job at Skowhegan from Mike Nelson. Judd coached Nelson at the University of Maine-Presque Isle 10 years ago.

Judd, who graduated from Livermore Falls in 1982 and UMPI in 1986, has been looking to return to Maine the last few years and was presented with a great opportunity to do so this spring.

“I think it all stemmed from my wife Kristina getting a job at Colby as a fund-raiser,” Judd explained. “I had heard about the Skowhegan job and decided to apply. She used to vacation up here all the time so it was no big task selling her on moving up.”

The move makes a lot of sense for Judd, who made no secret of his fondness for Maine with friends, co-workers, and even his players.

“It was our last game of the season in 1997,” Judd recalled. “We were in the huddle and I told them to make like they were playing in the Augusta Civic Center. One of them looked at me and said `Coach, I have no idea where the Augusta Civic Center is, but it’s in Maine, so it must be important.”

Judd started coaching as a freshman and JV assistant on Jay High School’s basketball and football teams in 1982. He took his first head coaching job at Keene (N.H.) High School four years later and helped the Blackbirds go from 1-99 in the five seasons prior to his arrival to 16-5 his second season.

He came back to UMPI as an assistant in 1989 when Nelson was a starter and the Owls won 21 games.

Judd also coached two years at Fall Mountain (N.H.) before becoming an assistant at Bethany College (1991) and then Pikeville (Ky.) College in 1993.

The 35-year-old Judd, who took an AAU team to the nationals and coached Frontier to four consecutive playoffs and a regional title, said he and Nelson are “real close” philosophically.

“We’re not identical, but we’re very close,” he said. “I start with defense first.”

School officials at Foxcroft Academy didn’t have to look out of state for their new coach as Wentworth was close by.

Wentworth, who coached FA’s freshman and JV teams from 1978 to 1981, has been a volunteer assistant on the basketball team the last two years.

After coaching the middle school team for three years, Wentworth returned to the Ponies in 1997. Wentworth graduated from Pemetic High School in 1968 and played for coach Vic Mercer.

“Al’s a very familiar face and a known commodity,” said F.A. athletic director Dave Clement. “We’ve seen him work with the kids and he has a good approach.”

Wentworth expects to have a more uptempo offensive style next season.

Wentworth, who’s the publisher of the monthly Maine Big Game Magazine, was formally approved by school trustees Thursday.