Longtime Maine coach Cosgrove retires

(STATS) - Jack Cosgrove is retiring after 23 seasons as Maine's head football coach and will transition into a senior associate director of athletics position at his alma mater.

In announcing the change Tuesday, Maine said a national search for Cosgrove's successor will begin immediately and that defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak will serve as interim head coach.

"His successful tenure as our head football coach has prepared him perfectly for this new role," athletic director Karlton Creech said, "and the list of ways that he can help our department is seemingly endless.

"Jack's passion for UMaine athletics is unmatched."

Cosgrove has spent 34 years at Maine as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach. As the Black Bears' winningest coach, he compiled a 129-135 career record with three conference championships and guided the Bears to all five NCAA FCS playoff appearances in their history.

His 2002 squad set a school record with 11 wins. This year's team went 3-8, losing its final four CAA Football games to finish with a 3-5 conference record.

Cosgrove won conference coach of the year honors three times (1996, 2001 and 2013) and was a finalist for the national coach of the year award three times (2001, 2008 and 2013).

He was a two-time second-team All-Yankee Conference quarterback for the Black Bears before graduating in 1978.