CASTINE, Maine — Maine Maritime Academy's 2025 William J. Mottola Athletic Hall of Fame class will include Jim Bower '10, Deidra Davis (coach), Jim Evans '81, Matt Methot '13, '14G and David Robinson '92.
All five will be inducted during a ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 23.
"This Hall of Fame class reflects the heart of Mariners athletics," Director of Athletics Bill Mottola said. "These five honorees distinguished themselves not only through their accomplishments, but through the way they represented our institution — as teammates, leaders and competitors. Their stories are an important part of our history, and it is an honor to welcome them into the William J. Mottola Athletic Hall of Fame."
Bower, Davis, Evans, Methot and Robinson join an elite group of 66 student-athletes, coaches, administrators, contributors and teams inducted into the William J. Mottola Athletic Hall of Fame since its inception in 2004.
Jim Bower '10
One of the most decorated running backs in Maine Maritime football history, Jim Bower played for the Mariners from 2006–10.
A two-time American Football Coaches Association First Team All-American in 2009 and 2010, Bower was also a two-time D3football.com Second Team All-American in 2009 and 2010. He earned the 2009 Boston Globe Gold Helmet Award and the 2009 Gridiron Club Joe Zabilski Award.
Bower was a two-time New England Football Writers Division II/III All-New England selection in 2008 and 2009, the 2010 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Player of the Year and a 2010 NEFW Division II/III All-Star.
Additionally, he was a 2010 ECAC Division III North All-Star, a two-time conference player of the year in 2009 and 2010, a three-time all-conference first-team selection and the 2009 conference championship most valuable player. Bower also led the nation in rushing in 2009.
At the time of his induction, Bower ranked second all-time in program history with 6,060 career rushing yards, third with 963 attempts, first with 77 career rushing touchdowns, eighth in yards per carry (6.29) and fifth in yards per game (134.7).
Bower was the leading rusher on the Mariners' 2009 New England Football Conference championship team, which finished 9-2, defeated Curry College 48-42 in the conference title game and advanced to the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs.
He also held program single-season records at the time of his induction with 1,916 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns.
Bower earned a Bachelor of Science in power engineering technology from Maine Maritime in 2010.
A native of South Paris, Maine, Bower attended Oxford Hills High School.
Deidra Davis (Coach)
The first female coach in Maine Maritime Academy history, Deidra Davis led the women's basketball program from 1996–2001.
The 2000 conference coach of the year, Davis guided the Mariners to three consecutive conference championships in 1998, 1999 and 2000. She compiled a 60-53 career record and a .531 winning percentage.
Davis coached the 1999 conference player of the year Vanessa LeBlond, the first women's basketball player in program history to earn a major all-conference honor. She also mentored 1999 conference rookie of the year Rachel Merrill and coached nine all-conference selections during her five seasons at Maine Maritime.
A pioneer in the growth of women's athletics at the Academy, Davis also coached softball in 1998 and served as the department's senior woman administrator for four years, helping increase the female student population from less than 12 percent to nearly 20 percent at the time of her induction.
Additionally, Davis coached three 1,000-point scorers, and one of her former players later became the first-ever female cadet chief engineer aboard the State of Maine.
Jim Evans '81
Regarded as the most decorated sailor in Maine Maritime Academy sailing history, Jim Evans competed for the Mariners from 1978–81.
During his senior season, Evans captained a program that ranked seventh nationally — the first top-10 ranking in program history.
Sailing first-string dinghy, Evans helped lead the Mariners to a third-place finish at the Navy Fall Regatta at the U.S. Naval Academy, which at the time was the second-largest collegiate regatta in history with 24 participating institutions.
Evans also helped Maine Maritime capture the Northern New England Championship (Hewitt Trophy), finish second at the Hoyt Trophy at Brown University and place second at the Packer Trophy at the University of Pennsylvania.
Additionally, Evans skippered the sloop team that won the New England Sloop Championship and qualified for the Intercollegiate Sailing Association's North American Sloop Championship. The Mariners finished third overall while sailing Lightning boats for the first time in program history.
Evans also competed in Luders 44 yachts, finishing third at the McMillan Cup against Navy and Princeton.
Evans earned a Bachelor of Science in nautical science from Maine Maritime in 1981.
A native of Wilton, Connecticut.
Matt Methot '13, '14G
Matt Methot is regarded as the top runner in Maine Maritime Academy men's cross country history, competing for the Mariners from 2008–10 and again in 2013.
The 2010 North Atlantic Conference Runner of the Year, Methot posted a time of 26:14.62 — the fastest finish in program history at the time.
Methot became the first runner in program history to earn conference runner of the year honors and led the Mariners to a second-place conference finish, the program's highest placement during the NAC era.
He earned four NAC all-conference first-team honors in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013, becoming the only runner in program history at the time of his induction to achieve the distinction four times.
In 2010, Methot led the Mariners to two first-place team finishes at the University of Maine at Presque Isle Invitational and the Mariner Invitational. He was also named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team, the first runner in program history to earn the national honor.
Methot earned a Bachelor of Science in marine engineering operations in 2013 and a master's degree in global logistics and maritime management in 2014.
A native of Portland, Maine, Methot attended Portland High School.
David Robinson '92
Regarded as the most prolific passing quarterback in Maine Maritime Academy football history, David Robinson played for the Mariners from 1988–91.
Robinson earned 1991 Associated Press All-New England honors and was a 1991 New England Football Writers Division II/III All-Star.
At the time of his induction, Robinson ranked first in program history with 6,157 career passing yards — 3,806 more than the second-place passer. He also ranked first in career passing attempts (978), completions (507), touchdown passes (54) and passing yards per game (175.9), while ranking third with a 51.8 career completion percentage.
Robinson also holds the program record for the longest passing play, a 94-yard touchdown against Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 1989.
At the time of his induction, Robinson held three of the top four single-season passing attempt totals, three of the top three completion seasons, three of the top four passing yardage seasons and three of the top three touchdown-passing seasons in program history.
He threw fewer than nine interceptions over 978 career pass attempts and recorded three consecutive seasons with a completion percentage of 51.9 or better.
Robinson earned a Bachelor of Science in power engineering operations and management from Maine Maritime in 1992.
A native of Saco, Maine, Robinson attended Thornton Academy.
