A coaching career has almost always been in the back of Will Seward’s mind, even when the thought of not playing school sports was unthinkable.
“I think I had good coaches growing up and that may have kind of affected my career choice at least a little,” said the 28-year-old East Sullivan native. “I think when I was in college, which I went to as a phys-ed major, I had an idea I wanted to be a teacher and coach. I just didn’t know in what capacity.”
Seward, a three-sport starter at Sumner High School in basketball, soccer, and baseball, now finds himself almost exclusively on the basketball sidelines as third assistant coach at Boston University.
Seward’s career path started in earnest at Springfield (Mass.) College as an undergraduate. He was a walk-on who played two seasons of JV ball before earning a spot on the varsity team. After graduating with a degree in physical education, Seward took advantage of a connection between a Springfield assistant coach and cur-rent BU coach Dennis Wolff.
“I went to BU as a graduate student and when I mentioned I was interested in coaching, he called coach Wolff to see if he had anything for me,” Seward explained. “I met with Dennis and got a graduate assistant job, which was more a volunteer position. I did a little bit of everything except coaching — Whatever they wanted me to do.”
Seward earned his master’s degree in phys ed in 2003 and took an assistant coaching position at Norwich University.
“When I got the job at Norwich, it was a $2,5000 year-long contract, a dining hall meal card, and a room on campus, but I knew then I wanted to make college coaching my focus and concentrate on that as a career,” Seward said.
Seward stayed at Norwich two years before being hired as an assistant at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in 2005. Two years later and quite by chance, he returned to the Terriers.
“I was in the right place at the right time. I was down visiting my fiancée, who works at BU, and dropped by the basketball office to say hello,” he explained. “Dennis said he wanted to talk to me because he had a job opening up.”
Seward became Wolff’s director of basketball operations and was promoted to third assistant coach this season.
The BU connection has paid off in many ways for Seward as he’s engaged to Logan Hamilton, BU’s assistant director of student-athlete support services. The couple met in grad school and are planning a June 19 wedding.
With BU and Maine being America East conference members, Seward gets a chance to return to his home area in a work capacity once a year.
“It’s strange in a way because I grew up a Maine fan, especially the women more than the men because they were so good at the time, but it’s always great coming up and seeing my family and some of my friends,” he said.
Seward’s family is almost synonymous with sports. Older brother David “Bevo” Seward was a three-sport athlete at Sumner and younger sister Abby was a three-sport athlete in high school and college (cross-country, basketball, and softball).
Last Sunday, even Seward’s former high school coach, Dana Smith, came to Orono to see Seward.
Although he’s not making much money at it, Seward says coaching is his true calling.
“I think I like the relationships with the players the best. Developing them is something I enjoy. It’s never stale and it keeps you young,” he said. “Yes, the main goal is to be a head coach. I’d love it if it was at the Division I level, but that’s the ultimate goal. It’s the chance to put my own stamp on a program.”