Sabrina Vaillancourt has been named the head field hockey coach at Husson University in Bangor, while Dan McNeeley was announced as the men’s basketball coach at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine.
Both announcements were made on Thursday.
Vaillancourt, a two-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American, returns to her alma mater after spending two seasons as the head coach at Nokomis High School in Newport.
“I’m excited for this next chapter in my coaching career,” said Vaillancourt in a press release. “It’s an honor to be leading the Husson field hockey program and continuing the student-athlete success.”
Vaillancourt, who graduated from Husson in 2014 with a degree in business management, directed Nokomis to an 18-10 record and two playoff appearances. She also coached club field hockey for four years and was the head coach of Black Bear Elite Field Hockey in Orono.
She also was an assistant coach at Old Town High School in 2014.
“Everyone we talked to who has worked with Sabrina in a professional capacity gave her glowing marks,” said Husson athletics director Frank Pergolizzi in a statement. “We believe strongly that Sabrina is destined to do great things as the leader of the Husson field hockey program!”
Vaillancourt, a four-year letterwinner as forward for the Eagles from 2010-2013, was a four-time All-North Atlantic Conference choice. Husson won league titles in 2010 and 2011.
In 73 career games, she scored 68 goals, including 15 game-winners, and tallied 18 assists.
Husson opens its 20th season on Sept. 2 at Wellesley College.
McNeely comes to Maine Maritime after a two-year stint as an assistant coach at NCAA Division III member Piedmont College in Georgia.
He replaces David Muchnick, who resigned in April after leading the Mariners to a 13-62 record during the previous three seasons.
“From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew that Maine Maritime Academy was a unique and special place, and my family and I are excited to join the Mariner family and community in Castine,” said McNeely in a statement.
At Piedmont, McNeely helped lead the Lions to back-to-back USA South Championship tournament appearances. Previously, he spent three seasons at Manchester University in Indiana.
“Coach McNeely is a thoughtful leader with all of the right values and will prove to be an excellent mentor for our basketball players,” said Director of Athletics, Steve Peed.
“He is the right fit for our team, our department, the Academy and the community.”
McNeeley is a graduate of Wittenberg University, where he played on the 2005-2006 NCAA Division III national runner-up team. He earned a bachelor’s degree in management and later obtained a master’s degree in health, exercise and sport science at The Citadel.
He was a graduate assistant at the Citadel after starting his career as a high school coach in Ohio.
“I am looking forward to Coach McNeely capitalizing on the growth in competitiveness we have experienced over the past three years and I am confident that he will build us into a consistently successful program on the floor, while maintaining our many successes in the classroom and community,” said Peed.