CASTINE, Maine — Maine Maritime Academy football head coach Nick Sheehan shared his thoughts on the Mariners' upcoming 2025 season.
The Mariners return to the gridiron in 2025 for their first full season since 2019. With nearly 20 returning players from last year's squad and almost 50 incoming freshmen, MMA will use the season to improve each day and continue building a program that began in the 1940s.
Eight Questions with Coach Sheehan
What are you most excited about for the upcoming season?
Seeing the hard work our guys have put in be rewarded with the chance to play a full varsity season. I'm excited to watch us grow and get better every day.
As a first-year head coach, what do you anticipate as some of your biggest challenges this season?
We're going to be very young, and a lot of our guys will be balancing academics and athletics. Helping them learn to handle all of their responsibilities will be a point of emphasis.
On the offensive side of the football, what are you looking to do?
Offensively, we want to be multiple and put our guys in the best position to succeed.
On defense, what can opponents expect from your team this season?
We expect our guys to fly around and gang tackle. We want to attack every snap and let our players play fast.
What do you define as success heading into the upcoming season?
We just need to get better every day and be driven by our process. If we can be better than the day before, we're moving in the right direction.
What is the mindset of your team when they step between the lines?
We want to fly around and play ball. The focus is simply on what we need to do to be successful on that play, nothing else.
How has your team looked throughout preseason and how has it grown on the field?
With such a young team, we're getting better every day. We're in an unusual spot having to rely on so many young guys, but many have stepped up and are making plays.
When viewers watch your team this season, what can they expect to see?
Hopefully they'll see a team that loves football, loves playing football and loves each other.
Closing:
Maine Maritime opens the season on the road against Hartwick College on Sept. 6, with kickoff set for noon.
