Lawrence High School athletic director Bill McManus has just one applicant for his vacant varsity ice hockey coaching position.

But that’s one more than Skowhegan AD Terry Michaud has for his hockey coaching job.

“I had one guy e-mail me an inquiry but when I explained what the job entailed, he never got back to me,” said Michaud, who added that the Skowhegan job has been open for “five or six months now.”

Michaud said he hasn’t been surprised by the lack of interest.

“Hockey is a very unique situation. There aren’t a lot of good hockey coaches out there,” said Michaud. “There are an awful lot of guys who have been hockey coaches who, for one reason or another, don’t want to coach anymore.

“But it’s hard to find people who want to coach in any sport. We only had five applicants for our boys basketball job two or three years ago,” added Michaud. “There are so many issues involved with coaching high school sports right now. A lot don’t want to do it.”

Scott Holmes had been coaching the Skowhegan team the past three years while getting his degree in education from the University of Maine in Orono.

Michaud said Holmes did a “very good job” and was very dedicated and passionate about the game.

“He used to drive down from Orono for 5:15 a.m. practices at Sukee Arena [in Winslow] and then go back to finish his academic day,” said Michaud.

Holmes left to pursue a teaching position, according to Michaud.

“We had some teaching positions but they’d all been filled [by the time Holmes earned his degree],” said Michaud.

The position pays over $4,000 according to Michaud.

The team won six games this past season and Michaud said it represents one of their “best seasons ever.”

However, he noted that their feeder system has dissolved and “that will ultimately hurt us big time.”

Lawrence, on the other hand, has made the Eastern Maine Class A playoffs the last two years.

The Fairfield-based Bulldogs went 9-12 this past season after posting a 15-5 mark the previous year.

And they will have nine seniors back next season.

Josh Blaisdell resigned to pursue other interests after four years at the helm.

“Roland Hallee, our assistant coach, is the only one to have applied for the job,” said McManus. “But we want to have more than one applicant to be fair.”

The job will pay in the vicinity of $4500, but McManus said there isn’t a teaching job available to go with it.

However, he said they have prime practice hours, right after school at Sukee Arena, an exceptional boosters group, and a good feeder system.

McManus said he has “no idea” why there haven’t been more applicants.

He is looking for somebody with previous high school coaching experience including assistants and JV coaches.

“I want somebody who knows the game,” said McManus.

In addition, Michaud and McManus also have hockey assistant coaching jobs available as well as head coaching jobs for their boys soccer teams.