Bob McShane, who led the Calais High School girls basketball team to five state championships and nine Eastern Maine titles in his 22 years at the helm, is coming back to replace his former assistant Dana Redding.
Redding guided the Blue Devils to two state titles and three Eastern Maine championships in his seven seasons before stepping down to spend more time with his family.
Redding, who is McShane’s cousin, went 117-25 in his seven years.
McShane was approved by the school board Tuesday night.
“I’m very excited. I think I’m more excited than I was when I first got the job many, many years ago,” 60-year-old McShane said. “I couldn’t sleep last night.”
McShane stepped down seven years ago to spend more time with his mother, Sallee, who had kidney cancer.
McShane said he missed coaching tremendously.
“Dana and I coached together a long while, and when he resigned, the opportunity was there,” McShane said.
He added that since he and Redding coached together, there will be “continuity.”
“There won’t be any dramatic changes,” McShane, who intends to play “uptempo basketball at both ends of the court,” said
He knows he will have a young team.
“People are saying we are two or three years away from challenging for a championship, but I don’t plan on waiting that long,” he said. “I plan on contending next year.”
Calais athletic director Randy Morrison said there were four or five applicants for the job, and he’s happy to have McShane back on board.
“It’s good to have him back. He has experience. He coached here for 22 years. He has five gold balls, and he knows our system,” Morrison said.