The University of Maine football team’s overhaul continues.
Three more assistant coaches have not been retained, including the defensive coordinator, according to a source with knowledge of the program.
In addition, starting junior free safety Austin Ambush and back-up strong safety Jamond DuBose, a graduate student, have both announced on Twitter that they are transferring.
They are the latest players departing the UMaine football team, which is undergoing major changes after going 2-9 last season under first-year head coach Jordan Stevens. It was just the second time in school history that the program lost nine games in a single season.
It brings the total number of coaches and players leaving the team to four each.
Ambush and DuBose join senior quarterback Joe Fagnano and junior linebacker Xavier Nurse as the players departing Orono for another destination.
Defensive coordinator-linebackers coach Jared Keyte, recruiting coordinator-wide receivers coach Justin Flores and defensive line coach Bryan Anthony Murray have all left the program.
University of Nebraska senior offensive analyst Steve Cooper has said that he will be the new offensive coordinator replacing previous offensive coordinator-quarterbacks coach Andrew Dresner, who had spent five seasons on the UMaine coaching staff including four as the offensive coordinator.
Keyte, a former UMaine special teams coordinator, had been promoted to defensive coordinator-linebackers coach last March. He just completed his seventh season on the Black Bear staff.
Flores spent six seasons on the UMaine staff and Murray was hired last February.
Dresner, Flores and Murray are no longer listed on the UMaine football website’s coaching staff roster.
A team spokesperson could not confirm the coaching staff departures.
UMaine struggled on both sides of the ball this past season.
The offense was 10th among 13 teams in yards per game (353.7) and points per game (23.3).
Its defense allowed 412.5 yards per game. Only first-year Colonial Athletic Association member Monmouth allowed more among the 13 CAA teams.
UMaine was 10th in points allowed at 31.5 per game.
Ambush finished 10th on the team in tackles with 37 and he also had an interception, a pass breakup and he forced a fumble.
Ambush played in seven games during the 2021 season and had 17 tackles and two pass breakups. The Gaithersburg, Maryland, native played in all four games during the abbreviated spring season in 2021 and had 12 tackles and one pass breakup.
DuBose, who transferred to UMaine from Northern Colorado, was involved in 23 tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss, and he also had an interception this past season.
DuBose missed the 2021 season due to injury and had 21 tackles in his three seasons at Northern Colorado including one for lost yardage. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native also forced a fumble, had a pass breakup and was chosen Northern Colorado’s Special Teams Player of the Year in 2019.
UMaine’s secondary allowed a Colonial Athletic Association-worst 9.6 yards per completion and Stony Brook was the only team that gave up more touchdown passes.
Stony Brook allowed 26 TD passes, one more than UMaine.
