For former College of Maine cross nation and observe and discipline head coach Mark Lech, it didn’t matter who he coached. He simply wished to make them higher athletes than they have been earlier than.
“It doesn’t matter what degree they arrive in from. If I can get them to enhance, that’s what teaching is all about, Lech mentioned. “It’s enjoyable to take anyone who was a 4:17 or 4:20 miler and get them beneath 4:10.”
July 1 marked the primary day of retirement for Lech after spending 25 years teaching the College of Maine’s cross nation and observe packages. Throughout his tenure, he coached the 2004 UMaine males’s cross nation staff to the America East championship and he was named the league’s coach of the 12 months.
He was the top coach of the cross nation groups for all 25 years and was an assistant for the observe and discipline groups earlier than taking on as the top coach in 2006.
“I used to be within the professor’s union and the college supplied a buyout,” Lech mentioned. “I’m 66 years previous and the final time they supplied a buyout was seven years in the past.
Lech mentioned he mentioned the supply together with his spouse, Patricia, who works within the schooling division at Umaine, and determined to simply accept it.
“I hadn’t been seeking to retire however the proper scenario got here alongside,” he added.
Lech, a local of Palmer, Massachusetts, got here to UMaine in 1998 as the top cross nation coach and assistant observe and discipline coach after teaching cross nation and observe at Northeastern College, his alma mater.
He’s within the Corridor of Fame at Northeastern, the place he was a two-time All-American and completed second within the nation within the 800-meter run in 1978 and third in 1979. He competed within the 1980 Olympic Trials.
His record of proteges contains All-Individuals Corey Conner and Riley Masters, 12-time America East champ Jesse Labreck, Kelton Cullenberg and Joe Moody. Every superior to the NCAA championships and have been among the many top-20 particular person athletes within the nation of their respective occasions.
“As an individual, it’s troublesome to search out somebody with higher character than Mark Lech,” Masters mentioned. “Whereas Mark formed my athletic profession, I’m way more grateful for a way he formed the particular person I’ve develop into.”
Lech mentioned he’ll miss taking “diamonds within the tough” and reworking them into productive athletes.
“I have a look at it like I’m portray an image. You do that and that and see what works for them. And as soon as they discover it, they’ll enhance in leaps and bounds,” he mentioned. “Somebody will discover and say ‘Wow, have a look at how they’ve improved.”
The buyout supply got here in April, so Lech mentioned he hasn’t discovered but what he’s going to do subsequent. He indicated that he would nonetheless love to do some teaching.
UMaine director of athletics Ken Ralph mentioned he wished Lech “nice pleasure” in his retirement.
“For the previous quarter-century, Mark has left his imprint on the observe and discipline and cross nation packages on the College of Maine. Tons of of athletes have benefitted from his experience, knowledge and humor throughout his time in Orono.”
