Tim Brewer, who led the Houlton High School boys basketball team to a 57-24 record in four seasons and the 2019 Class C North championship, has stepped down.
“I don’t want to do the traveling anymore. I’m not getting any younger,” said the 43-year-old Brewer, who lives in E Plantation, which is 28 miles from Houlton.
“I was actually thinking of getting done last year, but I wanted to spend one more year with the kids I started with as freshmen,” said Brewer, who earlier this season earned his 300th career coaching victory.
His career record stands at 308-88 (.778).
Brewer spent 15 years as the head boys basketball coach at Central Aroostook High School in his native Mars Hill before taking the Houlton job. He guided the Panthers to five Eastern Maine Class D titles and four state championships and compiled a record of 251-64.
Central Aroostook captured three of those state titles during a four-year span from 2005 to 2008. The Panthers went 86-3 during that stretch.
The Shires were 13-5 during the regular season this year in their first year back in Class B after spending the previous two years in Class C. They were the fifth seed and were upset by No. 12 Old Town 63-62 in overtime in the preliminary round.
“We still had a good year considering we had moved up from C. We were pretty much in every game and we were one win away from [earning] a bye,” said Brewer, whose team finished barely four points behind No. 4 Hermon in the Heal Points.
The previous year, the fourth-seeded Shiretowners beat Lee Academy, Penobscot Valley of Howland, Sumner of East Sullivan and George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill to claim the C North title before losing to Winthrop 61-49 in the state title game. They finished 18-5.
Houlton went 15-5 in Class C during 2017-18 and was 11-8 in Class B the previous year and made the playoffs.
“Tim did an outstanding job in his four years,” Houlton athletic director Bruce Nason said. “He was a great coach. The kids respected him. We’re going to miss Tim.
“But with the travel, I don’t blame him,” Nason added.
Brewer said he enjoyed his time at Houlton.
“The community and administration were great. The kids were great. They worked extremely hard for me. And I’m happy with where we have come in four years,” Brewer said.
He said going to the state championship game two years ago was a thrill.
“Any time you get to a state final, it’s a good achievement. Although it is better to win it,” Brewer said.
Brewer, who works in Easton at McCain Foods as an electrical and instrumentation technician, said he might get back into coaching some day.
“I’m too young to retire. But it would have to be closer to home,” Brewer said.