University of Maine first-year head coach Jordan Stevens has begun building his coaching staff.
Stevens hired Yale University co-defensive coordinator Mathieu Araujo as his assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. The 28-year-old began his new role Monday.
Stevens and Araujo were co-defensive coordinators at Yale. Araujo was also the defensive backs coach and he will have that same assignment at UMaine, as well as being a recruiter.
He was Yale’s recruiting coordinator.
“Mathieu is a leader,” Stevens said. “When he speaks, he speaks with conviction and authority. He does a great job developing meaningful relationships with his players. He cares deeply about them. That’s what stood out to me.”
Stevens said the defensive philosophies at UMaine and Yale are both aggressive and physical.
“That will come through with Mathieu. There will be a toughness element that he will bring out of our players,” Stevens said. “We both see things the same way.”
He also said Araujo is an outstanding recruiter.
“I am honored and thankful to be here,” said Araujo, a native of East Freetown, Massachusetts. “I can’t wait to be around these people and build relationships with them so we can do some amazing things on the field.”
He said his defensive philosophy revolves around toughness, accountability and work ethic.
“That’s who I am as a person. That’s how I was raised,” Araujo said. “Nothing was given to me. I had to earn everything.”
He was a defensive back at Division III Bridgewater State (Massachusetts), so when he decided to get into coaching, he had to pay his dues. He interned at Springfield College, where he earned his master’s degree in education after earning a degree in physical education at Bridgewater State.
His first full-time coaching job was at Maine Maritime Academy in 2015 where he worked with the running backs and receivers.
He also coached at Harvard and Boston College before landing the job at Yale.
He was an intern working with defensive backs at BC in 2017 and was a graduate assistant in 2018. The Eagles went to bowl games both years.
He earned a Bill Walsh Minority Internship when he was at Yale and got to work with the defensive staff of the NFL’s Houston Texans for a few weeks of preseason camp.
In 2021, Stevens and Araujo helped Yale rank first in the Football Championship Subdivision in third down defense, ninth in first down defense and 19th in total defense.
Michael Ryan had been the defensive coordinator for three seasons at UMaine, as well as the linebackers coach.