HAMPDEN, Maine — Hampden Academy formally filled two major head coaching openings Wednesday evening, less than two weeks before the start of fall sports preseason practices.
Fred Lower was approved as the Broncos’ new varsity football coach by the RSU 22 board of directors while Paul Wellman will serve as head coach of the girls soccer program, according to Hampden Academy athletic administrator Mike Bisson.
Lower replaces Scott Flagg, who guided Hampden’s football team to a 2-6 record in his only season as head coach in 2015.
Flagg stepped down after taking a new job in Brewer, where he and his family live and his children go to school.
“He made a change to make his life and family life better,” said Bisson in an email. “We will miss him.”
Wellman replaces Liis Emajoe, a former midfielder and co-captain for the University of Maine women’s soccer program who earlier this summer returned to her alma mater as a full-time assistant coach. She led the Hampden Academy girls to a berth in the Class A North semifinals last fall.
Lower comes to Hampden after lengthy stints as an assistant coach at both Husson University and Bangor High School.
Most recently he served for three years as outside receivers coach at Husson, and he also spent three seasons as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2002 to 2004.
Lower did two different stints as offensive coordinator for the football team at his alma mater, Bangor High School. He was a member of the Rams’ football staff from 1994 to 2001 and from 2007 to 2011.
The Bangor native was a three-year letterwinner in football during his playing days from 1986 to 1988 and also was a team captain.
Lower looks to provide stability to the Hampden football program as its third head coach in as many years. Kevin Canty coached the Broncos in 2013 and 2014, guiding his team to a 5-4 record and a berth in the Eastern Maine Class B playoffs in 2013 before the team fell to 1-7 the next season.
Canty subsequently left to take a college coaching position in his native North Carolina.
Wellman comes to Hampden after serving as assistant varsity coach and junior varsity head coach for the Brewer High School boys soccer program last fall. He also coached JV tennis for the Witches last spring and and has been involved in the school’s intramural strength and conditioning program.
Wellman had moved to the area from Michigan, where he played soccer at Saginaw Valley State University, an NCAA Division II program.
Wellman subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq. He also played on the USMC’s soccer team.
Emajoe coached Hampden girls’ soccer team to a 6-5-3 regular-season record and the sixth seed in the Class A North Heal point ratings in 2015. Hampden then upended third-seeded Brunswick in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual state champion Bangor 3-0 in the semifinals.
