The Maine coast has always been alluring.

Jim Dyer will be heading to the Maine coast to work as the athletic director at Castine’s Maine Maritime Academy on Aug. 2.

Dyer had spent 22 years at the University of Maine, 11 as the men’s soccer coach before becoming the assistant AD for operations.

At MMA, he will replace Bill Mottola, who has retired for medical reasons.

Dyer, who signed a one-year contract that will be reviewed after each year, said it wasn’t a difficult decision.

“It’s such a good opportunity and such a positive step for me professionally. And the timing is right,” said the 57-year-old Dyer, a University of Connecticut graduate. “I’ll have a chance to apply some leadership skills I picked up along the way and that’s something I wanted to do before the end of my career. The people there made me feel very welcome and very wanted.”

He said he will have fond memories of his time at Maine.

“I spent a long time there and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with some outstanding student-athletes, coaches and staff members,” he said. “I’ll certainly miss that part of my professional life.

“I hope I leave with people remembering me as somebody who did an honest day’s work every day and put forth my best professional effort possible whether in coaching or my administrative duties,” added Dyer, whose primary responsibility was event and facilities management.

Leaving a Division I institution with athletic scholarships for a Division III school without them will require an adjustment.

The pressure to succeed and produce revenue at a Division I school is much greater than it is at a Division III school.

“I want us to take care of variables we can control on a daily basis: achieving academic success, being good campus citizens and being good team members,” said Dyer. “If we take care of those things, we’ll achieve more than our fair share of success. I would like to see us recruit [well] on a consistent basis to support our programs and provide a positive experience for our student-athletes.”

Dyer will continue to live in Bangor with his wife, Jane, a kindergarten teacher at Bangor’s Fruit Street School.

MMA President Leonard Tyler said in a press release, “I’m truly impressed with Jim’s enthusiasm and sense of clear purpose for our programs. We are fortunate to welcome such an experienced and well-respected leader to campus. I am confident that our programs will thrive under his direction.”

Maine athletic director Patrick Nero called Dyer a “great choice” for Maine Maritime Academy.