Two new assistant coaches have been added to the University of Maine’s football staff.
Dave Bucar will be the offensive line coach, and John Gardner will coach the tight ends.
Burcar replaces Patrick Kugler, who left to become the offensive analyst at San Diego State University in the Football Bowl Subdivision, which is better-funded than Football Championship Subdivision schools like UMaine. Gardner will replace Mikahael Waters.
Waters was the tight ends coach/assistant special teams coordinator and pro liaison last season and will be the Black Bears’ wide receivers coach/co-special teams coordinator/pro liaison this fall.
Bucar spent the previous four seasons as an offensive analyst at Boston College. He was the assistant offensive line coach and assistant tight ends coach.
Bucar had also coached at Valparaiso in Indiana, the University of Maryland, Louisiana State University, Pittsburgh and Tiffin University in Ohio.
He was a two-time all-conference offensive lineman at Division III Washington and Jefferson in Pennsylvania.
He is a native of Trafford, Pennsylvania.
“Dave brings a wealth of experience from each level of college football,” said UMaine head coach Jordan Stevens. “Dave has a passion for developing players on and off the field.”
Gardner also has an extensive coaching background that includes stops at the University of Arizona, Colorado, Austin Peay in Tennessee, Missouri and the University of Washington.
“John is enthusiastic about the game of football,” Stevens said. “He will develop strong relationships with our players and help us reach our goals as a team.”
Gardner, a native of Woodinville, Washington, was a three-year letter-winner at the University of Washington as a wide receiver.
His 2016-17 Washington team won the PAC-12 Conference championship and earned a berth in the College Football Playoff, where it lost to Alabama 24-7 in the semifinals at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
UMaine went 2-9 last season and was ranked 10th among 13 teams in the Colonial Athletic Association in points per game (23.3) and yards gained per game (353.7).
The Black Bears’ running game was seventh (148.2 yards per game) and their passing game was eighth (166 yards per game).
UMaine will open the season in Miami against Football Bowl Subdivision team Florida International on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m.