Bangor High School’s boys basketball head coach Brad Libby has stepped down.
Formerly a player and then an assistant coach at Husson University, Libby took the reins at Bangor in 2018-19, leading the Rams to their 13th state title in school history.
Since the pandemic, however, Libby and the Rams have struggled, going a combined 9-47 the past three seasons — including a one-win campaign this season. Libby said his decision to step down was extremely difficult, and ideally would have come at a more steady time for the program.
“It was a very emotional decision. I love the boys, I love coaching and I love Bangor — I lost sleep over it. The last thing I wanted the boys to think was that I was letting them down,” Libby said. “As a coach you want to leave a program in a better spot than when you arrived, but it was the right time for me.”
The Brewer native currently owns and operates Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab in Bangor and Brewer, and lives in Hampden with his wife and two small children. He explained that his busy lifestyle was becoming too much for him and his family.
“I didn’t have the time the team deserved, and I’m never going to get those years [as a parent] back. As a parent, that wears on you,” Libby said. “I love competing and I love basketball, but it was the right decision for me personally. I’m not going anywhere as a coach — I’ll be at Bangor’s home games, and I’ll be coaching again in the future.”
Libby’s successor has not yet been named.
With two big classes of rising freshmen and juniors expected to play basketball at Bangor next year, Libby remains optimistic about the Rams rebuilding, despite the coaching change and recent struggles on the hardwood.
“The eighth graders coming in are very talented, but I didn’t want to coach them and then leave that class behind,” Libby said. “In two years, this could be a championship team. The future’s definitely bright for the Bangor Rams.”