Bates coach Reilly takes Wesleyan job

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Joe Reilly, who for the last 11 seasons has been the head men’s basketball coach at Bates College in Lewiston, has accepted the same position at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn.

Reilly replaces Jay Johnson, who held the post last season on an interim basis.

Wesleyan and Bates both compete in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Reilly leaves Bates after wrapping up the winningest coaching tenure in program history. His teams compiled a 154-121 overall record and posted eight straight winning seasons. The Bobcats were 92-37 (.713) the last four seasons.

His Bates teams twice set single-season records for wins with 19 in 2004-05 and 20 in 2005-06.

“This was a difficult decision, but I believe it’s the best route for my family,” said Reilly who, along with his wife Isabel, is a Connecticut native.

Reilly, who was hired at Bates at age 28 with no previous head coaching experience, was named the New England Basketball Hall of Fame Coach of the Year in 2004 and was the NESCAC coach of the year in 2006.

The move will impact three former Eastern Maine high school stars who attend Bates or are headed there.

Chris Wilson of Brewer was a sophomore for the Bobcats last season, while Alex Gallant of Bangor recently completed his freshman campaign. Bangor High standout Ryan Weston also has committed to attend Bates next fall to play basketball and football.

Reilly, a 1991 graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., spent three seasons as an assistant at Yale before arriving at Bates.

Bates athletic director Kevin McHugh said the search for a successor will begin immediately.

UMFK hall to induct four

Four individuals from different eras of University of Maine-Fort Kent athletics made up the inaugural class of the newly initiated UMFK Athletic Hall of Fame.

Athlete and coach Wolf-Dieter Koch and coach Larry Murphy are the charter member. Legendary UMFK coach Floyd “Red” Powell and coach and administrator Lowell “Ozzie” Osgood will be inducted posthumously.

Powell was inducted into an earlier version of the UMFK hall during the 1980s.

The individuals will be honored Saturday during ceremonies at Nowland Hall on the UMFK campus.

Black, granite plaques bearing the inductees’ likeness and career statistics will be permanently displayed in the UMFK Sports Center.

Murphy, who was born and raised in Caribou, was a four-year soccer player at UMFK, where he earned a B.S. in behavioral science.

Murphy captained the squad during his last three seasons and twice earned all-conference, first-team recognition. He was a three-time team MVP.

In 1975, Murphy took over as the Bengals’ men’s soccer coach, a position he held until 1991. He also held that post in 2001, 2002 and 2005.

Murphy turned in a six-year stint as UMFK’s men’s basketball coach (1985-91) and headed the volleyball team for two seasons. He was coordinator of athletics from 1975 through 1992.

Murphy won two Sunrise Conference soccer coach of the year honors and was the district basketball coach of the year once.

He now owns more than 20 sled dogs and competes in the Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog races.

Koch, who was born in Germany, was a key member on UMFK’s 1988 North East College Athletic Conference championship soccer team. He attended the school from 1985-89, earning a B.A. in history.

During his four-year soccer career, Koch led the Bengals in scoring his first two seasons and was an all-conference selection as a junior and senior. He finished his career with 32 goals and 28 assists.

Koch later coached the UMFK men in 1991 and ’92. He is now the men’s coach at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama.

Powell, a Danforth native, taught at UMFK from 1935-1969 and was its first academic dean. He served as the school’s athletic director for 21 years and also coached baseball and basketball.

Powell’s basketball team at the Madawaska Training School won the 1935-36 state championship. He died in 1977.

Osgood, a native of Carroll Plantation, was instrumental in the formation of the UMFK athletic department and its transition to true collegiate soccer and basketball competition.

He arrived at UMFK in 1962 and during the next 15 years served as a physical education teacher, soccer coach, basketball coach and athletic director. Osgood’s basketball teams compiled a career record of 217-105 and won one conference championship.

He died in 2002.

UNE’s Tarr, Meza to attend event

Ryan Tarr and Kristin Meza of the University of New England in Biddeford have been selected to attend the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Leadership Conference.

Tarr, a sophomore from Hermon, started all 17 soccer games last fall for the Nor’easters. Meza, a freshman from San Diego, plays on the UNE women’s soccer team.

The duo will travel to Lake Buena Vista, Fla., for the conference May 25-29.

Student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators work together to facilitate dialogue, address issues specific to Division III athletics and create partnerships to help effect positive change at the campus, conference and divisional levels.

SMCC seeks head golf coach

Southern Maine Community College in South Portland is looking for a head golf coach.

The responsibilities for the part-time, stipend position include: Organizing and directing all aspects of the program with an emphasis on recruiting student-athletes, monitoring academic progress, practice preparation and instruction.

For more information, contact SMCC athletic director Matt Richards at 207-741-5927.