Brian Bickford '87 was named head coach of the University of Southern Maine men's golf program in April of 2023 following the retirement of Reggie Grant after 22 seasons. He has also coached the women's golf team since their inception ahead of the 2024 season.
The men's team placed fourth at the 2023 Little East Conference Championship in Bickford's first season at the helm. Senior captain Zach Ellsworth earned Second Team All-LEC honors by placing seventh at the conference tournament. In his second season, the team won their first LEC title at the 2024 LEC Championship and had three golfers, Jaden Poirier (First Team), Owen Moore (First Team) and Alex Fournier (Second Team), earn All-LEC honors in addition to Bickford earning the LEC Coach of the Year award.
Bickford made the transition to USM after a storied career coaching high school golf in Maine at Greely High School, Yarmouth High School and Cape Elizabeth High School. In 2020 he helped lead the Greely golf team to a Class A State Championship. Bickford also coached five individual state champions in girl's golf during his career.
A key figure in the sport of golf in across in all levels in Maine, Bickford is the executive director of the Maine Golf association and serves as executive director of the Maine Golf Hall of Fame. He has received numerous accolades for his work including six Player Development Awards from the Maine Chapter of the New England Professional Golfers' Association of America and was inducted into the Maine Golf Hall of Fame in 2016.
Additionally, he spent many years as head golf professional at Val Halla Golf Club in Cumberland where he received the Golf Professional of the Year Award from the Maine Chapter of the NEPGA of America twice.
Bickford is a 1987 graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a degree in business administration and played golf for the University under Richard A. "Doc" Costello. He also earned his MBA from Southern New Hampshire University in 2000.
