Cosgrove Gives Up Coaching, Senior AD Job Next

23-year UMaine football coach Jack Cosgrove is stepping away as Black Bear coach and will become a senior Associate Director of Athletics for UMaine.

Defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak will assume the role of interim head coach. A national search for a new head coach begins immediately.

Cosgrove took over the head coaching job in February of 1993. He is the winningest coach in Black Bear history (129-135). His teams won three conference titles and made five NCAA playoff appearances.

Cosgrove was an All-Yankee Conference UMaine quarterback, graduating in 1978 and then earned his Masters Degree in 1981. He coached high school football in Stoughton, Massachusetts for three years. He was an assistant at Boston College for two years and then returned to UMaine in 1987 as quarterbacks and receivers coach.

"I am honored to accept this position and embrace an opportunity to work toward a new vision for UMaine athletics," said Cosgrove in a press release.

"It is with great excitement that we welcome Jack onto our senior leadership team in the Department of Athletics," said AD Karlton Creech in the same release.

The Black Bear football team completed the 2015 last Saturday, losing to UNH 22-6. The Bears finished with a 3-8 record.

COSGROVE OVERVIEW:

23 seasons as head coach at UMaine
129 career wins, most in school-history
90 league wins, fourth most in league history
3 NCAA Playoff victories
264 games coaches, more than any other head coach in program history
20 All-Americans coached
3 NFL Draft Picks
3 Buck Buchanan Award finalists (FCS Defensive Player of the Year)
2013 & 2004, defeated FBS opponents (UMass/Mississippi St.)
2002 - School-record 11 wins
2013 - hosted first ever NCAA playoff game at Alfond Stadium (vs. UNH)
2013 Maine Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
2013, 2008, 2001 Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year finalist
2013 - CAA Coach of the Year & American Football Coaches Association FCS Region 1 Co-Coach of the Year, Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Bowl/Championship Division Head Coach of the Year,
2013 & 2011 New England Football Writers FCS Coach of the Year
2001 - American Football Monthly I-AA National Coach of the Year
2001 & 1996 - Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year