Lynn Coutts, a member of the University of Maine’s Sports Hall of Fame, is reportedly among the finalists for the head softball coaching job at her alma mater.

Coach Stacey Sullivan didn’t have her contract renewed after going 70-84 in three seasons at the helm, including an 11-39 mark last spring.

Coutts was an assistant under Sullivan last season and helps run the Frozen Ropes Training Center, an indoor baseball-softball facility in Portland that she owns with her husband, Mike Coutts.

She spends a lot of time developing softball pitchers.

Mike Coutts is a former Maine baseball captain and 12-year assistant baseball coach under former coach John Winkin.

Maine athletic director Blake James wouldn’t confirm or deny that Coutts was a finalist.

“We have brought some candidates to the campus [for interviews],” said James, who is a member of the search committee. “I was very impressed with the group of applicants we had. We feel we will have someone in place soon who will do a great job for the program.”

He said they had 30 to 40 applicants and that the university hopes to have a new coach in place by “the start of the school year.”

Sullivan earned a base salary of $42,840 last year.

James added that the new coach would understand the “important role” the program plays at the university and in the community and will stress academic success as well as athletic success.

Coutts, the former Lynn Hearty, was a standout pitcher at Maine and was the program’s first All-American when she was named an NCAA Northeast second-team selection in 1987. She was also chosen to the All-New England team that year.

lmahoney@bangordailynews.net

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