Andrea Thebarge received an early birthday present Tuesday.

The Skowhegan native, who will turn 29 next week, will succeed Terry Kix as the University of Maine’s field hockey coach on an interim basis.

Thebarge has spent the past four seasons as an assistant for Kix, who is stepping down after 15 years to pursue other career opportunities and join close friends Sharon Versyp and Michelle Puls in Indiana.

“Andrea is extremely bright and dedicated and she is very organized,” said Kix. “She has a very good knowledge of the game. She’s very passionate about being a coach and I think she’ll do a great job.”

Kix also noted that Thebarge came from a great background starting with her outstanding all-state career at Skowhegan High School where she played for Paula Doughty.

“She then participated in [two] Final Fours as a starting center midfielder at Northeastern under the tremendous tutelage of Cheryl Murtaugh,” said Kix. “She’s ready and raring to go.”

Thebarge said she is “very excited” about the job.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the great winning tradition at Maine,” said Thebarge who is a proponent of Kix’s coaching methods.

“We’re really going to work on fundamentals,” said Thebarge, who added that Maine teams have also been known for their intensity and never-say-die attitudes.

She wants to continue to establish a strong recruiting presence in Maine.

“We’re looking to keep the best Maine kids here and I feel we’ve done a pretty good job of that. I’m looking forward to getting out there,” said Thebarge.

She also said they have made in-roads recruiting quality out-of-state players.

“Our national recognition is growing so recruiting is getting a little easier. Before, we couldn’t get [top] kids to visit us. Now we’re getting them here and their decision has been getting down to us and one other school. It’s very competitive and that’s exciting,” said Thebarge.

In Thebarge’s four seasons with Kix, the Bears have gone 55-24 and played in three America East Tournament championship games.

Prior to coming to Maine, Thebarge coached at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass., leading them to their first appearance in postseason play in 2001. She was also the United States Field Hockey Association’s coaching director for the Massachusetts Region Two Futures Program.

Thebarge was a four-year letter-winner at Northeastern and was a captain her senior year. She was an All-America East selection in 1998. The Huskies reached the Final Four in 1995 and ’96. She graduated from Northeastern with a degree in mathematics in 2000.

As a senior at Skowhegan High, she captained the basketball and softball teams as well as the field hockey team.

The former Andrea Devoe is married to former Black Bear football player Jarrod Thebarge, a punter, and they have a 10-month-old daughter, Samantha.

Thebarge said she hopes to name a full-time assistant in January.