Potential Names For Next UMaine Football Head Coach

Wednesday December 1st the University of Maine promoted Offensive Coordinator Andrew Dresner to "Interim" head coach of the UMaine football program.

Reports indicate the school wants to have a replacement for Nick Charlton officially in place before the signing period which starts December 15th.

Maine Athletic Director indicated there will be a national search to find a new head coach.

There are a number of coaches with ties to UMaine who may fit the search criteria to be the next head coach of UMaine football. Here is a brief list of coaches who have been mentioned, rumored, are currently on staff, who have played or coached at UMaine in the past and may be interested in returning to Orono to take over the Black Bears.

This is far from a full or comprehensive list. I have no "inside information" of who the school has contacted about the opening, or who has contacted the school since word came out of Charlton's departure for the offensive coordinator job at UConn.

With that said, here is the list of the 11 names I came up with, and all could probably be ruled in or out for one reason or another. (Presented Alphabetically by Last Name)

Potential UMaine Football Coaching Candidates

Jeff Commissiong – Former UMaine Linebacker, 1997 UMaine Grad – Former UMaine assistant coach from 1996-1998, and was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2000-2006. Since leaving UMaine has coached at Harvard, Boston College, Old Dominion among others, currently an assistant coach at Cornell University.

Pat Denecke – Is the run game coordinator and offensive line coach at UMaine currently, has been on the Black Bears coaching staff for the past six seasons.

Dennis Dottin-Carter – Former UMaine Defensive Lineman – 2002 UMaine grad – Coached at UMaine for five seasons - Co-Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line coach at UConn

Andrew Dresner – Interim Head Coach – Offensive Coordinator for past 3 seasons, on UMaine staff for 4 years

Mickey Fein - Former UMaine quarterback from 1995-98 – has coached at Lafayette College, Murry State and Tennessee-Martin – coached Wide Receivers at UMaine in 2002 – now the offensive coordinator-wide receivers coach at Harvard University (for former UMaine head coach Tim Murphy)

Frank Giufre – Former UMaine assistant coach as run game coordinator, offensive line coach and tight ends coach from 2007-through-2011. Coached from 2012-2017 with the Indianapolis Colts working with the Offensive Line and running game. Spent the last 3 seasons as the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line coach at UConn – being replaced by Nick Charlton

Corey Hetherman – Former UMaine assistant coach, three years as Black Bear Defensive Coordinator, 4 total years on UMaine staff – Currently the associate head coach and defensive coordinator / defensive ends coach at James Madison (JMU soon making the transition to FBS)

Michael Ryan – Current UMaine defensive coordinator for the last 3 seasons, has been on the Black Bears staff for the past 8 years, has served as UMaine recruiting coordinator too

Brian Scott – Waterville HS grad – Former UMaine quarterback – 2000 grad – Coached at ODU with Bobby Wilder – now coaching Offensive Line and is the Run Game Coordinator at Towson.

Jordan Stevens - Mt. Blue High School grad – Former UMaine Defensive End – 2010 grad – coached at UMaine 2011-2014 – now the Co-Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach working with the D-Line at Yale.

Bobby Wilder – Madison High School grad – Former UMaine Quarterback – Coached at UMaine from 1990-2006 offensive coordinator and associate head coach. Former Head Coach at Old Dominion University from 2009 to 2019 with 77-56 career record as the Monarchs brought back the program after shutting it down in 1940 and then leading the transition from FCS to FBS.

Again a disclaimer this list is based only on creating a potential list of names, and this has no official ties to what the search at UMaine does or could look like for a new head football coach.