Former Ellsworth Soccer Coach Brian Higgins to be Inducted Into Maine Soccer Hall of Fame

Former Ellsworth Soccer Coach Brian Higgins will be inducted into the Inaugural Class of the Maine Soccer Hall of Fame, set to be inducted in December of 2025.

Higgins retired from coaching soccer at Ellsworth High School after the 2015 season, leaving with 566 total wins, a record for soccer in Maine sports. In addition to the 566 total wins, Higgins' teams won 19 regional championships, and 4 state championships

In 2017 Higgins was honored as the National High School Girl's Tennis Coach of the Year, by the National High School Coaches Association,(NHSCA)

He retired from teaching at Ellsworth High School in 2020, after teaching there 46 years!

The inaugural Class consists of 11 members, fitting given that is the number of players on a soccer team.

The inaugural Class of 2025 consists of

Class of 2025 Maine Soccer Hall of Fame Inductees 

• 1972 Gorham High School Boys Soccer- The lone team inductee, the 1972 Gorham High School Boys Soccer is the only team in Maine high school soccer history to win the Class A State Championship and the New England Championship 
• Michael Berticelli- The late Berticelli played soccer at the University of Maine-Farmington, but he’s best-known for his coaching career with Notre Dame, Old Dominion University, the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, the University of Maine, and Thomas College 
• Shelby Bradford (Pickering)- Bradford followed up a record-setting playing career at Lee Academy with a decorated playing career at Husson University 
• John Cullen- Cullen had a 22-year coaching career at Bowdoin College, where he compiled the most career wins among women’s college coaches in Maine history 
• Peter Gardner- Gardner’s record-setting coaching career at Brunswick High School and Richmond High School includes 608 wins and seven state championships 
• Walt Gorneau- Walt Gorneau reffed a variety of soccer competitions for 51 years, and served as a high-level referee mentor 
• Brian Higgins- Higgins coached at Ellsworth High School for 42 years, and his career features 566 career wins, 19 regional championships, and four state championships 
• Michael Jeffrey- The preeminent historian of Maine soccer, Jeffrey is the administrator of the Maine Soccer Coaches, the organization responsible for the organizing the annual Senior Bowl and administering annual high school coach and player awards since 1989 
• Kristina Kelly- After an historic playing career at Camden Hills Regional High School, Kelly played collegiately at the University of Maine and Central Connecticut State University 
• Troy Kendrick- coached at Richmond High School for 30 years, and his teams racked up more than 400 wins and a state-leading 11 state championships during his tenure 
• Bob Leib- Leib coached both men’s and women’s soccer at the University of Maine-Farmington, where he compiled over 400 career wins for both programs in his 30-year coaching career 

For more on the Maine Soccer Hall of Fame you may visit their website 

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