WASHBURN, Maine — Mike Hartford has served as JV coach and varsity assistant under the Beavers’ last three boys’ varsity head coaches.
Now it’s his turn to lead the program.
The 40-year-old Hartford was recently selected as the new boys’ varsity basketball coach at Washburn District High School, according to athletic director Ron Ericson, who said Hartford’s experience and work ethic have prepared him well for the job.
“He’s been part of the program for 16 years [as a player and coach] and has learned a lot,” Ericson said. “He works hard and the kids enjoy playing for him and they play hard.”
Hartford graduated from WDHS in 1994 and was the starting point guard his senior season under Larry Worcester.
He coached at the middle school for a season before moving to the JV/varsity assistant coach during Worcester’s final season of coaching in 2004-05. Hartford stayed aboard when Chris Hallett was the coach for two seasons and he spent the last nine years as Randy Norsworthy’s assistant.
Norsworthy resigned in March, opening the door for Hartford to advance.
“I am excited about this next step in my coaching career. This is something that I have wanted to do for quite some time,” said Hartford, a physical therapist at Cary Medical Center. “I have always said that if I was ever to coach varsity basketball, I would only want to do so at Washburn.”
Hartford said he has garnered a lot from coaches he has assisted and gone up against throughout his coaching career and looks forward “to taking the reins and seeing what I can do with this opportunity.”
He said his nine years under Norsworthy were invaluable.
“[Randy] has been so instrumental in my growth as a coach,” Hartford said. “We spent quite a bit of time talking strategy, scouting teams, questioning coaching decisions and contemplating how to relate to each player and get the best out of them. That process between he and I really expanded my thought process about the game.”
Hartford was hired in time to be in charge of the Beavers’ summer program. Players have already had some open gym time and the team was planning to participate in a tourney scheduled in Fort Kent over the weekend. He hopes to play somewhere between 10 and 12 games before the end of the summer.
Defense will be a priority for Hartford’s team.
“I really want to encourage a ‘defense first’ mentality,” he said. “I hope to get the guys to focus on smart and sound defensive principles like properly closing out on shooters, defending by moving their feet without reaching in, boxing out and rebounding as a team and being positioned correctly on the help side.”
Hartford said he is thankful to have been chosen for the job and looks forward to seeing what he can do for a program with such a strong basketball tradition.
“This is such a great blessing to have this opportunity,” Hartford said. “It has been a blast coaching at the other levels and being able to be involved with some incredible teams and young men over all these years, but I am looking forward to making a few changes and putting my little stamp on the program.”
