MMA’s Hodgson resigns > Football coach lacked full-time assistant

There has been one constant for the Maine Maritime Academy football program during the last seven years – head coach Mike Hodgson.

However, the lack of continuity among the Mariners’ assistant coaches, including the lack of funding for a full-time assistant, has led Hodgson to resign his position.

MMA announced Hodgson’s decision Tuesday.

“Mike has devoted himself to this institution and to our football program over a seven-year period,” MMA President Leonard Tyler said in a press release. “His knowledge of the game is second to none and he has always conducted himself on a high level.”

Hodgson, who guided the Mariners to a 32-34 overall record, said he has enjoyed working at the school and living in Castine. He simply found it hard to deal with the constant turnover among assistant coaches.

“A lot of it had to do with continual decreases in staff and support for staff,” said Hodgson, whose team struggled to a 1-8 record in 2000 and went 3-6 in 1999.

“It has become increasingly difficult to provide for a quality program,” he added, explaining MMA was unwilling to reinstate a full-time assistant position that was in place during the first two seasons of Hodgson’s tenure.

Hodgson has been unable to keep a staff together. Because of the nature of the part-time positions, coaches move on to other jobs after only one season.

“It’s really tough on the kids to go through four years of college and have four different position coaches. It showed in our performance,” Hodgson said.

In addition to his duties as the head coach, Hodgson served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach this fall. He also had been responsible for other positional areas in previous years, depending upon the expertise of the assistants he brought on board.

“I spend most of my time coaching coaches instead of coaching players. It’s hard,” he said.

Hodgson said he has enjoyed living in the Castine community and appreciates the support he and his family have received there and at MMA. But it’s time to move on.

And while the Mariners struggled this season, the team appears to be in good shape for Hodgson’s successor. MMA loses only three seniors off this year’s squad.

“I didn’t want to leave a program that a new guy would have to come in and rebuild,” Hodgson said. “[The successor] should take over a way-above-average team. The thing that’s tough for me is leaving such a great bunch of kids.”

Prior to taking the MMA job in 1994, Hodgson spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Princeton. The 1978 University of Maine graduate also spent six seasons as an assistant at his alma mater.

He plans to continue coaching.

“College coaching is what I want to do,” Hodgson said. “Hopefully in another month or so, I’ll be somewhere else.”

Tyler said MMA is conducting a national search for a new coach.