SKOWHEGAN — The last coach Dan Foss had in high school left a mark on him.
Now, Foss himself has taken the baton from his mentor, Dave Evans, as he leads the Skowhegan track and field team into the 2024 season.
After 13 years coaching the program and nearly four decades coaching throughout the state, Evans stepped down as River Hawks coach following the indoor season. In his place, Foss — who competed for Evans at Carrabec High School in 1997 — takes over.
“I’ve got big shoes to fill, there’s no doubt about that,” Foss said. “Dave did so much for this program. When he took over, the program had 15-20 kids, and we’re at 50-plus now. I’ve learned a lot from him — different strategies, different techniques and things like that.”
Foss was an assistant under Evans throughout his tenure with the program. Between that duo and fellow assistant coach Jim Goodwin, Skowhegan’s coaching staff had been remarkably stable since 2016 — “I could tell Dave and Dan had a close bond (from the moment I started),” Goodwin said.
During their time together, Foss grew to respect Evans for the way his coaching went beyond producing fast runners, strong throwers and high-flying jumpers. Evans took on the role of a father figure to the athletes, and Foss knows being a successful head coach himself will mean doing the same.
“You’ve got to meet the kids where they’re at,” Foss said. “With the numbers that we have and the group that we have, you’ve got to be a dad more than anything. If a kid needs transportation, we’ll do that; if they need to be fed before a meet, we’ll feed them; if they need shoes, we’ll find shoes. I think that’s the biggest thing Dave’s taught me.”
With their new head coach having years of experience on the staff, Skowhegan athletes say the transition hasn’t been a major one. A much bigger adjustment than the coaching change, senior Billy Albertson said, has been the team managing its large size in such limited space indoors.
Yet Albertson thinks that’s where his new coach has thrived. Sure, there are always going to be limitations when the conditions make outdoor practices unfeasible, but Foss, he said, has managed things in a way that’s helped the River Hawks make the most of the challenges.
“It’s different, but I have to say I’m very impressed with how Coach Foss has done it,” Albertson said. “It’s all very organized. We have a much bigger team this year and have to split up into groups and different stations, and it feels organized. I’m very pleased with how he’s taken up the mantle.”
Albertson and junior Sebastien Williams are both impressed with the invigorating, rewarding workouts they’ve had in Foss’ first two weeks at the helm. The energy at practice was something Williams admired under Evans, and he’s noticed the same thing under his new coach this spring.
“I think he’s doing an awesome job with it,” Williams said. “It’s relatively the same energy. I think the intensity of the workouts is up, but the fun is still there, and it’s awesome. I think he’s really helping us reach our potential.”
Evans’ coaching tenure went far beyond track and field. He also coached football at Skowhegan after winning state championships at Dexter (1987) and Stearns (1991, 1992). After that, he coached Skowhegan gymnastics alongside his wife, Carol, winning state titles in 2002 and 2004.
In all, Evans, 67, had coached for nearly 40 years, starting back in 1985 when he founded the track and field program at Edward Little. He will retire from his job as a social studies teacher at Skowhegan at the end of the year.
“I listened to one of those state retirement seminars, and they said, ‘Well, the average retiree gets 12 years out of their pension,’” Evans said. “I was like, ‘Holy s—, I better start looking to do something else.’ … I’d like to travel a little bit, and my grandchildren are getting to the age where they’re going to be involved in sports. I’m ready to do some other things.”
Evans, though, won’t be far from the local track and field scene. Meets always need volunteers, and he’ll still be available to help out when they do. He’s even going to be the meet director at Skowhegan’s April 20 home meet, the first of the 2024 season.
Foss, though, will be the one calling the shots for the River Hawks. He’ll do so leading a young team that, aside from four seniors and three juniors, consists entirely of freshmen and sophomores — a team composition that’s tough now but bodes well for the future of the program.
“We’re young, but I’m excited,” Foss said. “I know there’s a big group of eighth-graders coming up next year, too, so we’re going to be strong. … I’ve learned a lot from Dave, and now, I’m ready to keep things going.”
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