CASTINE, Maine – Veteran coach Bill Ashby was introduced as the new leader of the women's soccer program at Maine Maritime Academy on Thursday. Ashby brings four decades of coaching experience and 451 collegiate wins back to MMA, where he led the men's program from 1992 through 1997 and served as the first coach of the women's program in 1997. 

"I am honored and extremely happy to return to MMA as its next Head Women's Soccer Coach," said Ashby. "The Academy was one of the special places in my coaching career, and I am thrilled to lead the women's soccer program once again.  I look forward to working with all the other coaches at MMA as well as the student athletes."

The head men's coach at Maine-Fort Kent from 2006 through 2018, Ashby piled up a record of 219-16-6 with the Bengals, guiding the team to USCAA National Championships in 2010, 2015, and 2016. In 2015, he was named the USCAA National Coach of the Year. He earned five NAIA Regional Coach of the Year honors and four Sunrise Conference Coach of the Year awards at Fort Kent.

A veteran of the Maine collegiate coaching circuit, Ashby got his coaching start in NAIA soccer at Maine-Machias in 1984, before moving on to Husson to head up the men's program between 1989 and 1992. Ashby was the now-defunct Western Maine Athletic Conference's Coach of the Year in 1991. He earned two sweet sixteen finishes and one elite eight finish when NAIA soccer was flourishing.

Ashby joined the staff for his first stint in Castine in 1992. He posted a 64-43-6 record with the men's squad and mentored two Maine Maritime Hall of Fame selections in B.C. Voyou and Ryan Reed. Inarguably the best player to don the Mariners jersey, Voyou was a two-time Academic All-American and four-time All-Maine selection scoring 101 goals and assisting 32 more in his career in Castine. He also holds the records for most goals in a season (28), most points in a season (66), most goals in one game (5) and most points in a single game (13).  Reed was twice named an Academic All-American for his accomplishments in the classroom and on the field. He holds the record for most games played and started by a men's soccer player at MMA, never missing a game in his four years. Paul Kenney and Nate Cook were also named Academic All-Americans on Ashby's watch.

Ashby was the driving force in getting women's soccer off the ground at Maine Maritime, and his influence on Maine Maritime soccer is undeniable. He coached Seth Brown '98 who later served as the women's soccer coach at Maine Maritime from 2013 through the 2019 seasons. Now a Major Gifts Officer at MMA, Brown posted a 60-58-6 record for the Mariners, bringing home the first of the Mariners' three North Atlantic Conference (NAC) championships in 2019. Ashby will now coach another generation of the Brown family with Mayako Brown on his roster. Ashby will coach alongside current men's soccer coach, Billy Shannon, who was coached by Seth Brown at Husson University.

"Coach Ashby is a life-educator with penchant for delivering quality results everywhere he coaches," said Director of Athletics, Steve Peed. "He is the right person at the right time to continue the growth and evolution of Maine Maritime soccer that really started with the arrival of Seth Brown and continued through Keenan Schaeffer's time in Castine." 

Ashby takes over the program from Schaeffer, who stepped off to take the helm at Division II Davis & Elkins in June. Schaeffer posted a 33-21-2 record at MMA, leading the team to NAC Championships and the NCAA postseason in 2021 and 2023.

Ashby's resume includes stops at Brescia University in Kentucky where he picked up 50 wins with the men's team between 2002 and 2006 and 20 more wins in two seasons with the women's program. He was named the conference coach of the year twice on the men's side and once on the women's side. Ashby won 58 games over four seasons leading the men's team at the University of Mary in North Dakota, where he earned two regional and two sectional coach of the year honors. In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Ashby was the Director of Athletics at Fort Kent for a dozen years. He has years of experience in the K-12 and youth soccer settings.

Ashby officially joins the staff at MMA on July 15.