Jack Cosgrove has worked diligently to establish a winning football program at the University of Maine. But has he taken the Black Bears as far as he’s able?

In a word, no.

The time may be close at hand when Cosgrove can reap the rewards from all the hard work, dedication, and loyalty he has given the program at his alma mater.

Down in Boston, Northeastern seeks a head coach to replace Barry Gallup. Cosgrove apparently is high on the Huskies’ list, but it doesn’t seem like the right fit.

At first glance, Cosgrove might seem an unlikely candidate for the NU job. He frankly admits UMaine’s 31-46 record during his seven seasons is less than spectacular. At UMaine, it is a significant accomplishment.

Cosgrove has kept the Bears competitive, getting the most out of the absolute least when compared to his league coaching peers.

Three major obstacles in recent years have kept UMaine from becoming a legitimate Atlantic 10 title contender: UMaine’s geographic location, its facilities and its limited financial resources.

UMaine is a tough sell. Orono is three hours north of its closest A-10 rival, New Hampshire. Location is a recruiting obstacle that torments every UMaine coach and Cosgrove has 87 roster spots to fill.

UMaine is not only remote, its lack of cultural diversity doesn’t make it particularly appealing to those accustomed to the amenities of an urban setting.

The facilities issue was solved two years ago with the opening of Morse Field at Alfond Stadium, which is the showpiece of UMaine athletics.

Now, instead of recruiting around the field, Cosgrove can use it to attract players. But is the facility enough to sway a recruit who might be weighing UMaine against an Atlantic 10 competitor?

There’s a good chance talented young players such as quarterback Jake Eaton and tailback Marquisse Silva never would have seriously considered UMaine without the new stadium.

In recruiting, Cosgrove has settled mostly for second-tier talent. With few exceptions, the players who accept football scholarships to attend UMaine don’t receive comparable offers, if any, from even one other school.

Those who do sign with UMaine are out to prove they are deserving of the scholarship. They want to reward Cosgrove’s confidence in them.

Cosgrove also must deal with UMaine’s financial plight. He has kept the Bears competitive despite working with less money.

While most of the other Atlantic 10 schools have been fully funded, with Rhode Island a notable exception, UMaine has been forced to nickel-and-dime its way to a roster. That means holding out on full scholarship offers in favor of less-attractive partial scholarships.

Often, players must “walk on” initially in the hope they’ll eventually earn a scholarship for their last two or three years. That places pressure on Cosgrove and his staff to recruit student-athletes with an extra emphasis on their financial resources, or lack thereof, and academic aptitude.

The financial situation has improved slightly in recent years. UMaine athletics director Sue Tyler has vowed to eventually provide Cosgrove with sufficient funding to award the maximum 63 scholarship equivalencies allowed by the NCAA.

While the logistics of awarding scholarship dollars is complicated, UMaine has not yet achieved its goal. This year, Cosgrove awarded fewer than 58 equivalencies.

If all the money does get budgeted within the next couple of years, UMaine will have greater leverage in attracting recruits.

In spite of geographic and financial obstacles, Cosgrove always puts a solid team on the field. His enthusiasm has fostered an atmosphere of pride and camaraderie within the program.

With a state-of-the-art stadium and more scholarship money, the Bears have begun to shed the us-against-the-world mentality they have used as motivation. UMaine could be on the verge of taking the next step in the Atlantic 10.

Therein lies Cosgrove’s dilemma.

While Tyler has rewarded his loyalty and hard work with a comfortable $90,000 salary, Northeastern’s financial package likely would push that number over $125,000. And coaching the Huskies would take Cosgrove and his wife Marilyn home to their native Massachusetts, closer to their families.

Plus, Cosgrove would be right across town from Fenway Park and his beloved Red Sox.

But Northeastern football faces problems of its own. The Huskies have posted a 30-47 record, one almost identical to UMaine, during the last seven years.

NU’s campus is located in downtown Boston and its unimpressive artificially surfaced football facility, Parsons Field, is tucked away in a Brookline neighborhood.

Financial rewards aside, Northeastern would be a lateral move for Cosgrove in the football sense. He has already rebuilt a strong foundation at UMaine, making the best of a difficult situation.

UMaine football is a part of the man Cosgrove is. He played quarterback for the Bears and later became their coach. The program has been his professional life.

While the temptation may be strong for Cosgrove to consider a jump to Northeastern, he has worked through the hard times in Orono. For UMaine and Cosgrove, the best is yet to come.