Mahoney Middle School might have a new track coach this year, but he seems very familiar.
That’s because Mike Towle, who teaches social studies at the South Portland school, returned to his old job: for 26 years, from 1970 to 1996, he was Mahoney’s track coach.
His effort and success apparently attracted attention because the University of Southern Maine came calling in the mid-90s. The Huskies wanted to build their running program and they wanted Towle to take it over.
At first, he declined, but then USM called again the following year.
“I thought it would be a good change,” Towle says, and he and his family moved from South Portland back to Gorham, where he’d grown up, though he continued to teach at Mahoney.
He coached the Huskies cross country team and then helped the track team move from club status to a strong varsity program. He was also involved in designing the Costello Fieldhouse on USM’s Gorham campus.
But after five years, Towle realized he had to make a decision.
“It was (coach at USM) full-time and give up teaching,” he says, “or finish my teaching career.”
Luckily for Mahoney, he chose the latter. Last spring he was back helping out with track and this year he’s heading up the middle school’s program again.
Towle has now been teaching at Mahoney for 36 years, and his wife, Sheryele is a teacher at the school as well. The couple has two grown daughters and three grandchildren.
He has run road races at every distance, including marathons in Portland and Boston. Now, at 58, Towle says it’s a little tougher.
“I still try to compete, but the legs aren’t what they used to be.”
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