ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine football program has served as a pipeline for the coaching staff at Old Dominion University in Virginia.
This spring, the Black Bears are on the receiving end of a former Monarchs assistant.
UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove on Monday announced the hiring of Corey Hetherman as the defensive line coach. Cosgrove also has promoted defensive assistant Greg Webster to a full-time position as the defensive backs/safeties coach.
Hetherman, a Massachusetts native, comes to UMaine after one season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Pace University. There, he developed the defensive game plan and kick-blocking schemes and handled the recruiting for the defense.
Before Pace, Hetherman was an assistant at ODU under former Black Bears quarterback and associate head coach Bobby Wilder. He was the defensive run game coordinator and an assistant linebackers coach in addition to having recruiting duties.
“Corey has experience working with former Black Bear defensive coaches Rich Nagy, Jeff Comissiong and Andy Rondeau,” Cosgrove said in a press release. “He also has experience at Springfield working with coaches [Joe] Harasymiak [UMaine’s defensive coordinator] and Webster. He comes highly recommended and will add greatly to our staff as both a coach and recruiter.”
Hetherman previously coached outside linebackers at ODU after one season at Northeastern University in Boston. He was a graduate assistant at Springfield College from 2007-09 and did a one-year stint with Germany’s Wuerzburg Panthers.
Hetherman was a three-year starter at quarterback and a senior captain at Fitchburg State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and is working on a master’s in athletic administration. He played professionally in Austria and Germany.
Webster has worked his way up the coaching ladder at UMaine. Last season, he helped the Black Bears earn a No. 1 Colonial Athletic Association ranking in defensive pass efficiency (eighth in the country) and a No. 2 rank in total defense (15th nationally).
“He has worked for three years on our defensive staff and has grown tremendously over that time period,” Cosgrove said. “He will continue to coach our safeties and coordinate our special teams on defense.
Webster has served as the team’s video coordinator since he arrived at UMaine in April of 2012.