The University has hired William Casavant, a major proponent of sports and recreation in the region and a literal Maine sports legend to serve as its new Athletics Director.

Casavant, who has served the regional athletics community for more than 35 years and who was inducted into the Maine Sports Legends' Hall of Honors in 2006, took the job as the University's Director of Athletics in July. He most recently has served as Northern Maine Community College's Director of Admissions for 15 years.

Casavant replaces Rich Ward, who, after nine years as UMPI's Director of Athletics, announced that he and his family would head west to explore new opportunities.

In his new role, Casavant will oversee the University's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams -affiliated nationally with the NCAA Division III and the NAIA's Sunrise Conference - as well as direct club sports and the intramural sports program. The new AD also will head up student-athlete recruitment efforts and foster community support of University teams.

"I'm excited to get started here on campus, working with coaches and implementing our plan to become competitive in the Sunrise Conference immediately," Casavant said.

Casavant's vision for the Athletics Department includes getting the entire campus community highly involved in athletics, drawing people from campus and the community to games, and shaping student-athletes "to be the kind of people that others want to be around, that others will want to come and see."

"Bill's addition to the Athletics Department will go a long way in terms of reconnecting the campus as fully to all of Maine as possible as well as looking for students wanting to participate in a full student-athlete experience," President Don Zillman said. "With his help, we'd like every student-athlete in the region and the state and beyond thinking hard about coming to the University of Maine at Presque Isle."

Casavant, who hails from Holyoke, Mass., graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Upon graduation, he took a position at Limestone Junior Senior High School, teaching eighth grade science for eight years while coaching soccer, basketball and baseball. In 1980, Casavant both earned his Master's degree in Education from the University of Maine and took a new job as the Athletics Director for Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute [now NMCC]. While in that position, he coached soccer and baseball at the institute and also coached basketball at UMPI for four years.

Casavant has garnered several athletic honors. He was inducted into the second class of the Owls Athletic Hall of Fame in the early 1990's and he was named to the Hall of Honors by the Maine Sports Legends organization as a sports legend from the Northern Region-Aroostook Area.

He is a member of the Presque Isle Recreation and Parks Advisory Board and also serves as a member of the Northern Maine Board of Approved Baseball Umpires and the College Baseball Umpires Association. He has served in the past on similar state boards for soccer and basketball officials.