MMA inducts first Hall of Fame class

Bill Mottola, who served in various capacities at Castine’s Maine Maritime Academy for 37 years, was the charter inductee into the school’s Hall of Fame Saturday night.

He was joined in the first class by Rob Marchitello, Kenneth ‘Swede’ Erickson and the late John Hoctor.

Mottola was the head football coach from 1968-78 before becoming the athletic director and director of the physical education department in 1979.

He held those positions until retiring for health reasons last spring.

He also coached the baseball and wrestling teams at different times and was a member of the faculty.

He was selected the NAIA District 5 administrator of the year in 1987 primarily due to his work establishing women’s athletic programs at the school.

During his tenure, MMA went from offering five sports, all men’s sports, to 13 including six women’s sports.

He has also served as commissioner of the New England Football Conference.

The school’s new hall room was named in his honor: the Bill Mottola Maine Maritime Academy Mariner Athletics Hall of Fame.

Marchitello was a two-time, first team All-American running back, rushing for 5500 yards and 61 touchdowns. He shares the NCAA record for most 200-yard rushing games (11) with former USC and NFL great Marcus Allen.

He was the NEFC and ECAC Player of the Year in 1994 and ’95 and led his three MMA teams to a 24-5 record.

He set six school and two NEFC records.

Erickson played football, basketball and baseball from 1947-50 and was recognized as the top athlete in his time at MMA.

He was named the outstanding midshipman among his class of cadets in 1950.

Hoctor was the founder of intercollegiate athletics at MMA and served as the athletic director from 1945-58. He also coached the football, basketball and baseball teams.