UMaine coaching staff will change Standbrook gains new coaching role

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Changes in the coaching staff for the University of Maine’s men’s hockey programs are in the offing.

Grant Standbrook, who has been the recruiting coordinator and assistant coach for 18 years and has recruited 32 All-Americans in that time, has informed head coach Tim Whitehead he wants to retire as the recruiting coordinator and full-time assistant but is interested in staying on as a volunteer assistant.

Maine’s other full-time assistant, Campbell Blair, appears to be in line to become the top assistant at the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

“Grant and I have talked about his retirement several times over the last few years and he approached me about it again this spring,” said Whitehead. “The fact he wants to remain as a volunteer assistant and is excited about it is good news for us.

“We’re thrilled to know that he will continue to help our program on a daily basis,” said Whitehead. “There’s no question that Grant Standbrook has been the common denominator for the program’s unprecedented success over the past 18 years.”

The 68-year-old Standbrook, who has three children and six grandchildren, said “40 years [on the road] is plenty” and that he wants to spend more with wife, Joy, and his family.

“But the key thing is my passion to coach hasn’t diminished one bit. I’ll always love the coaching aspect of the job,” said Standbrook.

Standbrook feels by being the volunteer assistant, he can have “continuity” with the players.

He maintained that he can still help out with recruiting on-campus by evaluating players on videotape and DVDs.

“When recruits come to visit, I can help out there, too,” said Standbrook, who has accrued countless contacts during his legendary career which will also be helpful.

He was the recipient of the 2005 Terry Flanagan Award given to assistant coaches for their career work.

As an assistant coach at Wisconsin and Maine, his teams have posted a 796-368-81 record and won five national championships.

The former head coach at Dartmouth College and assistant for the 1976 United States Olympic team has coached 53 NHL players.

Maine has made the NCAA Tournament eight straight years.

Blair has spent the last five seasons at Maine and his wife, Kate, just completed her first season as a full-time assistant for the Maine women’s hockey team.

Blair said he should know “any time” if he will become the top assistant at UAA under second-year head coach Dave Shyiak.

Blair, a 1991 University of Maine graduate, said he would prefer not to discuss the job until it becomes a reality, if indeed it does.

However, he did say it was a good opportunity.

“I wouldn’t be considering going up there if I didn’t think it was a good move,” said Blair.

If he goes to Anchorage, the Prince George, British Columbia, native would be closer to his family.

“Campbell has made a tremendous impact on our program,” said Whitehead. “Obviously, I’d hate to see him go. But, at the same time, this would be a tremendous opportunity for him, careerwise and familywise.”

Under NCAA rules, Division I hockey programs are allowed two full-time assistant coaches and one volunteer (unpaid) assistant along with the head coach.

Dan Kerluke, who graduated from Maine in 2001, was the volunteer assistant this past season after spending three successful seasons as the head hockey coach at Bangor High School.

If Blair leaves, Whitehead would have to hire two full-time assistants, including a recruiting coordinator.

Kerluke could be considered for the second full-time assistant’s job but, due to his inexperience, he probably wouldn’t be considered for the top assistant-recruiting coordinator job.

Bordick to have number retired

Winterport native and former major league shortstop Mike Bordick will become the fourth member of the University of Maine’s baseball program to have his number retired as part of a Maine Baseball Weekend to be held Sept. 15-16.

He will join former Black Bear coaches John Winkin and the late Jack Butterfield along with All-American pitcher Billy Swift by having his No. 3 retired.

Players on the 1976, ’81 and ’86 Black Bear College World Series teams will be honored as it will be the 30th, 25th and 20th anniversaries of those accomplishments.

A golf tournament at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course will kick off the weekend beginning at 10 a.m. Friday.

The tournament will be followed by a barbecue at 5 p.m. and there also will be a cocktail reception at the Muddy Rudder in Brewer beginning at 7.

Bordick will have his number officially retired at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the university’s Mahaney Diamond and that will be followed by a game between the Maine alumni and the current team.

There will be a cookout after the game.

For Bordick, having his number retired caps a terrific year in which he was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame and received his degree from the university at age 40.

Bordick retired after a 1,720-game major league career in 2003. He played for Oakland, Baltimore, the New York Mets and Toronto.

He retired with the second-best fielding percentage among shortstops with at least 1,000 games (.982). He still owns the single-season record among shortstops for highest fielding percentage (.998), fewest errors (1), consecutive errorless games (110) and consecutive errorless chances (543).

Maine baseball coach Steve Trimper said Bordick had an “outstanding career” and by returning to school to earn his degree he showed “what kind of overachiever he is.”

Maine director of athletics Blake James called Bordick an “excellent representative of our program. He has done a great job representing us as a student-athlete and well beyond his time at Maine.”

Trimper said he likes the fact his current players will receive the opportunity to learn about “what people have done in the past. It will give them an education about the history of the program.”

He also stressed the importance of having the alums “stay involved” with the program in various ways such as “attending games or helping sponsor some of these events.

“From day one, what has blown me away is the outstanding support the program receives from alums, the friends group, the community and the state. It’s unlike any other place. That’s what makes it special,” said Trimper.