Travers Evans has spent 20 years coaching college soccer in the Greater Bangor area.
But the Maine Maritime Academy men’s soccer coach and facilities coordinator is leaving Castine to take a job at prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
The former University of Maine men’s soccer coach will be the student sport advisor for the school’s soccer program and starts his duties on Jan. 6.
Evans spent nine seasons at MMA. In addition to coaching the men’s team, he also coached the women’s program from 2007 to 2012 before Seth Brown took over.
He led his nine men’s teams to a 63-71-16 record, including an 11-4-3 mark in 2013 when the Mariners shared the North Atlantic Conference regular-season title.
Evans previously was affiliated with the University of Maine men’s soccer program for 11 years. He served as an assistant for four years before taking over as the head coach.
He was the America East Coach of the Year in 2003 after leading Maine to its first postseason appearance in 10 years.
“I’ll be on the front end of recruiting and developing relationships with families of students looking to attend the school,” said Evans. “It’s the top preparatory school in the country for academics and athletics. Its facilities are second to none. It was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.”
IMG, according to Evans, has exceptional coaches and specialized advisors and trainers to help the student-athletes develop in all areas.
“I will miss Maine Maritime. It’s a terrific academic institution that offers kids a lot of great career options,” said the 44-year-old Evans, who said he has mixed emotions about leaving eastern Maine.
“We have been here a long time. We’ve made a lot of great friends and worked with a lot of great student-athletes,” said Evans, who was the co-founder and former president of the Blackbear United Soccer Club.
“We love Castine. But my family and I were looking for a new challenge and we’re really excited about going to IMG. There will be more opportunities for our kids,” said Evans, who with his wife, Johanna, has four children: sons Riley and Ian and daughters Taylor and Acadia.
Brown credited Evans for providing the soccer program with some valuable stability. Brown said he isn’t interested in coaching the men’s team.
In a news release, MMA Director of Athletics Steve Peed thanked Evans for his “dedication to the growth of Maine Maritime Academy soccer, on both the men’s and women’s sides, and for his dedication to Maine Maritime Academy’s student-athletes. We wish him well in his next chapter.”
Evans graduated from Exeter High School in New Hampshire in 1989, where he was a soccer standout. He then played at Northeastern University before transferring to UMaine, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1996.