GORHAM, Maine – In celebration of NCAA Division III Week (April 7-13), members of the University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics and Recreation staff took the time to reflect on their own experiences playing and coaching at the Division III level. Six current Husky head coaches, field hockey head coach Bonny Brown-Denico '91, '98, men's soccer head coach Jim Hopkins '00, men's and women's tennis head coach Eric Haase '94, women's ice hockey head coach John Lauziere '02, men's and women's golf head coach Brian Bickford '87, and wrestling head coach Mike Morin '10, were Division III student-athletes at Southern Maine.
 
"Coaches and administrators who were once Division III student-athletes themselves—and who walked the same halls and played on the same fields—bring a powerful perspective to our program. They understand the balance, challenges, and rewards firsthand, and that experience allows them to connect with and mentor our current student-athletes in meaningful, impactful ways." said Interim Director of Athletics Mike Keller. No stranger to Division III athletics, Keller led the USM men's soccer program for 18 seasons and held positions at Thomas College, Maine Maritime Academy and his alma mater, the University of Maine at Farmington.  
 
Brown-Denico was a two-sport standout at USM, earning three regional All-American selections in both field hockey and softball. A National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) Second Team All-American in 1990, Brown-Denico was part of some of the most successful field hockey teams in program history. Under head coach Paul Hodgdon, the team became the first in USM history to reach the NCAA Final Four during Brown-Denico's freshman season.
 
"I had a great experience playing both field hockey and softball. I played for the legendary coach, Paula Hodgdon, which was an outstanding experience. Softball was also a great experience." said Brown-Denico.
 
The ability to play both sports at a high level was what initially drew Brown-Denico to USM, but the culture around the athletic department is what has made a lasting impact on her.
 
"I was extremely lucky to have come into a place with such an outstanding culture where every staff member made you feel welcomed to the family," said Brown-Denico. "Al Bean, Doc Costello, Paula Hodgdon, Jean Zimmerman, Bob Brown, Gary Fifield, Ed Flaherty, and Dusty Drew, were all outstanding USM staffers who made such an impact on every athlete's experience. I have stayed because I was able to work with many of the staff that I was involved with as a student and want to keep that culture and atmosphere alive."
 
Now one of the facilitators of that culture, Brown-Denico graduated from the University in 1991 and stayed involved as an assistant coach. A 1996 inductee into the Husky Hall of Fame, she succeeded Hodgdon as field hockey coach in 1998, the same year she completed her master's degree in adult education to become a USM graduate twice over. She led the team to its first Little East Conference championship in 2003 and again in 2023. Brown-Denico also served as head coach of the softball team from 1996-2012 before moving into an assistant coaching role. The winningest coach in the history of both programs, she has been named the LEC Coach of the Year five times in total, and her field hockey staff was named Coaching Staff of the Year in 2023.
 
Morin was a two-time All-American and three-time New England Wrestling Association All-Region wrestler for the Huskies from 2007-11. A four-year starter in the 165-lb weight class, Morin won the Division III New England title in 2008 as sophomore to become the second wrestler in program history to earn a trip to the NCAA Division III National Championships. He won the regional title again in 2009 to earn another trip to nationals where he placed fourth to become the first All-American in program history. The 2010 Pilgrim League Wrestler of the Year, Morin spent most of his senior season as the top-ranked wrestler in the country in his weight class. He earned another trip to nationals after winning his third regional title and placed fifth to earn All-American status for the second consecutive season.
 
"I had a great experience at the DIII level. USM was a great fit for me,' said Morin. "It was a place where I was able to come in and make a difference in the wrestling program, and compete at a high level, while at the same time I had the resources and support to make sure I was excelling in school. I was able to balance everything really well at the DIII level which was important to me."
 
Morin wanted to remain involved with the sport that he loved after graduating from the University in 2010 with a degree in Business Administration. Fortunately, he did not have to venture far and joined the Southern Maine coaching staff after his standout career. After a few seasons on staff, he was recognized as the New England Wrestling Association Assistant Coach of the Year Award for the 2014-15 season. Morin took over as head coach in 2015 and has built the program into one of the best in the region.
 
"After I graduated, I knew I wanted to get into coaching and USM was looking for help as an assistant coach as they only had two coaches at the time. I was really happy to get involved and was an assistant coach for five years.," said Morin. "I loved that role and really had no intention to become the head coach until the position opened up late in the summer of 2015. I kind of fell into the interim role and then formally got the head coaching job. I just finished up year 10 as the head coach."
 
In those 10 years Morin, a 2016 Husky Hall of Fame inductee, has coached over 30 regional place winners, 15 NCAA Division III National Championship qualifiers, nine NCAA Division III All-Americans, and one NCAA Division III National Champion in Daniel Del Gallo in 2017. Del Gallo's national championship is a moment that stands out for Morin when looking back through his coaching career.
 
"As a coach, I think the year that Dan Del Gallo won a National Championship was pretty special. Dan bought in so much to the program, he deserved everything he achieved, and I was very proud of him that he got over the hump of losing in the blood round the previous two years to not only get on the podium, but get to the top of it. " Morin said.
 
In addition to his national championship title at 147 pounds, Del Gallo has the distinction of being the only Southern Maine student-athlete to earn the NCAA's Elite 90 Award. He first won the award, which is given to the student-athlete competing at the national championship level with the highest grade point average, in 2015 and then again in 2016. Academic excellence has been a staple of the USM wrestling program dating back to Morin's days when the coach was a two-time National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) Division III Scholar All-American. The Huskies have earned 25 NWCA Scholar All-American citations under Morin and that ability to develop well-rounded student-athletes is one of the coach's favorite things about the DIII level.
 
"I like coaching at this level because it's a level where you can really see the development and growth of our student athletes. We see our student-athletes here at this level because they love their sport. They want to get better and improve, at the same time DIII allows for our student-athletes to become really well-rounded individuals because they have the time to focus on their academics and anything else that might interest them." he said.
 
Brown-Denico also mentioned the off the field development as one of things she enjoys most about coaching Division III student-athletes.
 
"I enjoy seeing the development of players throughout their four seasons as well as their growth off the field. Players come in and often have a lot of room for growth. It is fun seeing their friendships, confidence, physical strength and maturity blossom."
 
Hopkins, a three-time men's soccer captain for the Huskies from 1996-99, echoed that sentiment. He lists teaching life lessons as one of his favorite aspects of coaching. Instilling the value of teamwork and building relationships are also big parts of his coaching philosophy. Those lessons are taken directly from his own experience. The former all-conference midfielder still is close to many of his former teammates 25 years later.
 
"I had a great experience coming from Connecticut and meeting lifelong friends with the same passion and excitement for Division III soccer. I still keep in touch with many of the 96-99 men's soccer players and had many of them in my wedding and vice versa. They were the greatest group of people in my life at that time." he said.
 
Hopkins graduated in 2000 and pursued a career in coaching. His career path led him back to Gorham in 2017 where he joined Keller on the sideline as the program's associate head coach, a role he held for two seasons. Hopkins then returned once again to take the reins when Keller retired after the 2022 season. The Huskies reached the LEC playoffs for the first time since 2018 in their first season under Hopkins in 2023.
 
Bickford, like Hopkins, returned to Southern Maine in 2023 when the opportunity to lead to his former program presented itself. A native Mainer, Bickford began his collegiate career at the United States Military Academy before transferring to USM. The move allowed him to find a better balance between his studies and his sport.
 
"I initially went to a DI school but returned to DIII and USM. When I returned, I was looking for a place with a great education and an opportunity to golf. USM was the clear choice in Maine, particularly Southern Maine, which is where I wanted to be," Bickford said. "Whenever you can couple an education and a sport, you do it. Being a DIII student-athlete is a rare combination and sets you up for success in life."
 
He found success on the greens while at USM and won the State of Maine Championship in 1986 under Hall of Fame coach Richard "Doc" Costello. Bickford has also made a large impact in his short time as the leader of the golf program. He coached the men's golf team to their first LEC Championship this past fall to earn the team an automatic bid to May's NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship. He cites both his personal championship and the team's recent title as his favorite USM memories, along with the relationship that he developed with Costello.
 
"One of my favorite memories of all time was seeing Doc Costello meet me on the stage at the Cumberland County Civic Center and whispering "you made it!"
 
In addition to the former Husky student-athletes, two other USM head coaches also played at the DIII level. Men's hockey head coach Matt Pinchevsky played at Curry College while men's lacrosse head coach Sam Manders played at SUNY Cortland. The Southern Maine administrative staff also has its fair share of DIII student athletes. NCAA Compliance Officer Mitchell Bean and Assistant Athletic Director Brian Jenkins both played baseball at UMaine Farmington, while Director of Athletic Communications Christina Cracolici was a three-sport athlete excelling in soccer, basketball and softball, and Administrative Specialist Kaitlin Bouchard played softball at Emmanuel College. Bouchard also is an assistant coach for the USM softball program.
 
The University of Southern Maine has been a proud member of Division III since 1985.