PRESQUE ISLE, ME
The University of Maine at Presque Isle is pleased to announce the hiring of Luis Pérez as its newest Head Softball Coach. Pérez has an extensive and wide background in both professional and collegiate athletics, making him a very valuable addition to the Owls program and department.
Pérez's professional background is broader than that of many collegiate coaches. In addition to his extensive coaching experience, he has worked at the highest levels of athletic training and sports medicine. Early in his career, Pérez served as an assistant athletic trainer in the Montreal Expos organization and also spent time with the Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. From 2021 to 2025, he served as Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Director at Caribbean University.
Pérez has also worked with athletes competing on the international stage, serving as an athletic trainer with the Venezuelan National Team during the Caribbean Series and with the Puerto Rico Women's National Baseball Team at the Pan American Games.
Amidst that extensive and successful Athletic Training career, Pérez made the transition to coaching where he has been around as much as anybody. He is a World Baseball Softball Confederation and International Olympic Committee-certified instructor in Baseball, Softball, and Baseball5. Pérez served as Head Women's Softball Coach at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, a member of the Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria. He inherited a program that had endured nearly a decade of losing seasons and struggled to remain competitive. Pérez quickly transformed the program into a contender. His efforts culminated in a bronze medal at the 2018 Puerto Rico Intercollegiate Championships, returning the program to the podium.
Most recently, Pérez was appointed the first head coach at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. Pérez was able to recruit and build the Bengals' inaugural roster from absolute zero in order to field a team.
Executive Director of Athletics Dan Kane echoed that sentiment as he weighed in on the newest addition to the UMPI Athletics staff. "Luis's résumé speaks for itself, but what stood out in this search was his vision for our softball program and his commitment to the student-athlete experience. He's a proven builder and a proven teacher. We're fortunate to have him at UMPI," said Executive Director of Athletics Dan Kane.
Pérez will assume duties on August 1st and will also take on the Athletics Retention Coordinator duties as well, helping communicate with other coaches and to ensure every UMPI student athlete gets the support needed to earn their degrees.
