York High has named veteran multisport coach Paul Marquis to replace Randy Small as its varsity boys’ basketball coach.
Small was dismissed as coach earlier this month after nine seasons as the boys’ coach. Small also was York’s football coach for the past 21 seasons. Small had made it known that he did not wish to continue coaching football.
Marquis, 45, was approved by a 3-1 vote at the York School Board meeting Wednesday.
Marquis coached the Noble girls’ basketball team the past three seasons, going 3-54 overall and resigning shortly after the 2016-17 season.
Prior to that, Marquis coached multiple sports at Traip Academy, including leading the girls’ basketball team to 13 straight regional playoff appearances and the boys’ soccer team to the 2006 Class C title. He also was Traip’s varsity baseball coach for one season.
“All the competition I faced playing Rick Clark and his (girls’ basketball) teams twice a year and some fantastic soccer battles over the years, I know York is a community that has had some excellent coaches,” said Marquis, specifically citing Clark, Small, former boys’ basketball coach Rick Brault, track coach Ted Hutch and field hockey coach Barb Marois.
“It’s certainly a place where there are some quality coaches and I’m excited to be there.
“I’m not close enough to the situation and I certainly didn’t know and still don’t know all that went down (with Small’s dismissal), but when it comes down to it, it’s about working with kids and there are great kids at York, a passionate fan base, (and) the student body support has always been robust.”
Marquis’ first practice with his new team will be at 3:30 p.m. Monday. York finished 12-8 last season and reached the Class A South semifinals, losing to Greely, the eventual state champion, 59-54.
“The biggest challenge is the fact that I haven’t had the opportunity to get to know the kids, having that opportunity to work with them over the summer,” Marquis said.
This will be Marquis’ first time as a boys’ basketball varsity coach.
A native of Fort Kent, Marquis is a chemistry and physics teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas High in Dover, New Hampshire. He began coaching in 1995 in Fort Kent, with varsity stints in tennis, girls’ basketball and baseball.
He moved to southern Maine in 1999 and spent one season as an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Portsmouth (New Hampshire) High before taking over as boys’ soccer and girls’ basketball coach at Traip.
This past fall, he coached girls’ soccer at St. Thomas Aquinas.
Steve Craig can be reached at 791-6413 or:
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