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One of the premier open coaching positions in central Maine field hockey is officially spoken for.

Holly Daigle is taking over as the head coach at Winthrop High. Both Daigle and athletic director Joel Stoneton confirmed the hiring on Monday.

“I’m so excited to coach at Winthrop and I want to do a really good job for this program,” Daigle said. “It has such a strong tradition of outstanding success. Coaches I have always admired and respected (have been here) and there’s really passionate and talented players that are a part of this program.”

Daigle stepped down as the head coach at Cony in Augusta last month. She had a 139-91-12 record during her tenure at Cony, leading the program to a Class B North title in 2023 — the program’s first regional crown in 28 years. She’s a three-time Kennebec Journal Coach of the Year (2013, 2015, 2018) as well as the Varsity Maine Coach of the Year in 2023.

Daigle, a former Cony player who graduated in 1999, was an assistant at Cony for three seasons under Krista Chase before taking over the program. Chase is currently the head coach at Mt. Ararat in Topsham.

“I feel very fortunate and honored in this special and unique opportunity to coach an outstanding program that just happens to be very close to home and just happens to be where my daughter is going to be playing,” Daigle said. “I knew this day would come, but seemed forever away that she was going to be a freshman field hockey player.”

Winthrop is a co-op program with Maranacook Community School, which has close ties to Daigle. She’s a third-grade teacher at Manchester Elementary School, and her daughter, Addie, will be a freshman next year at Maranacook. Her son, Miles, goes to Maranacook Middle School.

Daigle’s hiring closes the door on one of three prime field hockey vacancies in central Maine.

Cony athletic director T.J. Maines said on Tuesday that Jenny Evans, a Winthrop resident and currently a coach with the Maine Styx field hockey club in Portland, has been chosen as the school’s next field hockey coach and is awaiting final approval from the Augusta School Board. Evans, formerly Jenny Holmquist, was a three-year starter at NCAA Division II American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, graduating in 2020. She was also previously a college assistant coach at Division I Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Daigle said the move from Cony was “bittersweet,” but looks forward to how the program will be under Evans. The Rams finished 6-9 last season, falling to eventual Class B champion Belfast in the quarterfinals.

“When you make an emotional decision to leave something that you love, that’s been such a meaningful part of your life, you hope that the people you experience that with understand your reason,” Daigle said. “Families within the Cony community have been so supportive, have wished me luck. I’m so grateful for the support that I’ve received from it.”

Skowhegan’s head coaching position is still open after MSAD Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Moody and athletic director Nick Wallace told players in March that Paula Doughty, the winningest coach in state history — with a 644-97-22 record and 20 state championships — would not return next season.

Daigle takes over the Winthrop program from Melissa Perkins, who stepped down after three seasons. Perkins had a 44-9 record with the Ramblers, including Class C championships in 2023 and 2024, the back end of a four-peat for the program. Last season, Winthrop finished 11-6 and fell 1-0 to Spruce Mountain the Class C South final.

“I just want to earn the trust of the players and the families,” Daigle said. “Just that I’m going to be just as passionate and dedicated to this program as they are. I really want to do a good job for a program I always respected.”