Donald Bruce MacGregor was a legend as evidenced by the fact he was inducted into five halls of fame: the Husson University Sports Hall of Fame, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall and the Maine Sports, the New England Basketball and the Maine Basketball Halls of Fame.
He died on July 8 at the age of 87 after an illness.
But the Connecticut native and longtime Pushaw Lake and Naples, Florida resident was much more than a highly successful coach who guided the fortunes of the Husson University men’s basketball, golf and baseball teams and who also served as the Bangor-based institution’s athletic director from 1978-84.
He spent more than 50 years at Husson.
Current Husson men’s basketball coach Warren Caruso played basketball for MacGregor at Husson before becoming his assistant and succeeding him as the head coach.
Hermon High School Athletic Director Rick Sinclair played both basketball and golf for MacGregor.
And both said MacGregor had a profound influence on their lives as a coach, mentor and close friend.
“He meant as much to me as anybody,” said Sinclair. “He’s probably the best person I’ve ever met outside of my family.
“And it seems like he meant just as much to everyone who played for him. He had a special quality in how he made everybody feel so important and special and part of something bigger than they were.”
“It is really hard to put into words or a sentence the impact he has made in so many people’s lives across so many fronts,” said Caruso. “He helped me shape my life and who I am today and the family I have and the person I am.”
“I am forever grateful for the relationship I was able to have with Bruce and the family,” added Caruso.
In his 26 seasons as the head basketball coach, MacGregor compiled a record of 554-194 and was named District Coach of the Year 12 times. His teams won six regional titles and appeared in seven NAIA National Tournament appearances.
During 17 seasons as the golf coach, he compiled a career record of 1,166-471 and led his teams to seven national tournaments, and he was a nine-time coach of the year honoree. He also spent several seasons as an assistant coach with the golf team.
And in six seasons as the head baseball coach after five years as the assistant, he posted a 77-68-1 record and won three conference titles.
Sinclair said MacGregor would have been a successful coach “in whatever sport he wanted.
“He was always really positive. And he was a competitor which is a quality he taught everyone who played for him,” said Sinclair. “And a lot of us still have that mindset that he instilled in us when we played for him.”
“He was a tremendous blend of humility and confidence and he carried himself with integrity at all times,” said Caruso, who has moved past his former coach and into the top spot for career basketball wins at Husson with 598.
“He had empathy and a heart of gold. He meant so much to so many people. He had that rare trait of being able to gather people, whether it be in the coaching realm or social realm, and make everybody feel valued and important and that they made a difference.”
As a coach, Caruso said MacGregor “gave his players freedom to play without constraints. He inspired them to be the best they could be at all times, both on the court and off the court.
“We were always prepared for games and we traveled in the best conditions that we could. He demanded that everyone carry themselves in a professional level and to be the best version of themselves.”
Golf was different because it wasn’t as intense as basketball and he couldn’t control the Xs and Os but Sinclair said his positivity was extremely valuable and the golfers “all raved about the experience they had and what coach meant to them.”
Kissy Walker will begin her 37th year coaching the Husson women’s basketball team this season and said MacGregor had a “charismatic demeanor.”
“He was such a great listener and always had great advice to give. He was a calming influence, even in tight games, and he was the type of guy who always found a way to solve a problem,” said Walker. “He gave everybody confidence. He said everything was going to be okay and that you were going to be great.”
Walker was a young coach when she came to Husson and said that “I was the child and he was the adult.
“I observed how he did things and learned a lot from him,” said Walker.
She said the one thing that will always stick with her when it comes to MacGregor was him telling her “that no matter at what level you are coaching, whether it be middle school, Division III or a higher level, it was the players’ big time. So it was important for you to do everything possible to make it the greatest experience for them.”