Cony girls basketball coach John Dennett has resigned after leading the Rams to their best season in more than a decade.

Dennett, 55, said he wanted to spend more time with his family, which includes five children and a new grandchild. Two of his children attend Cony High.

“I’ve been coaching for 18 years now, three in varsity,” he said. “I contemplated stepping down after last season, but my wife talked me into sticking around for the four freshmen and the younger players. … I felt it best for my family, my wife. I’ve got two twins, my stepkids, who both play sports (at Cony). I could have probably coached another five, six, seven years. But I figure, right now, there would be a lot of other things that I would miss out on, like snowmobiling, fishing. It’s just a lot of time, a lot of stress (coaching). I’m super passionate about coaching basketball.”

Cony finished 16-4 last season, falling 42-38 to Hampden Academy in the A North semifinals. In his three seasons at Cony, Dennett went 45-17, including winning the Class A North title in 2024, the program’s first in 12 seasons. Cony stunned then-defending state champion Lawrence with a 54-46 victory in the regional final. The Rams lost to Brunswick in the state final.

“I feel like this is maybe the best time (to take a break),” Dennett said. “It doesn’t mean I won’t get back into coaching again. It just means that this (time) is best for my family and I.”

Dennett, a 1988 Cony graduate, spent 15 years coaching at the middle school and junior varsity levels at the Augusta school. At one point, Dennett led the JV squad to 44 straight victories. He was hired to replace Adam Rich as the varsity head coach in the spring 2022, shortly before T.J. Maines was hired as the school’s athletic director.

“John did a really good job as the head coach of the varsity program,” Maines said. “(The team) had success they hadn’t had in a long time. He developed strong relationships with his players. They knew he cared about them, and I think they cared about him. He pushed the kids, and they allowed him to do that because of that relationship.”

Dennett led the Rams to a winning record in each of his three seasons. In 2022-23, Cony finished 15-5 and lost to eventual Class A champion Lawrence in the A North semifinals.

“Ever since I was a young kid, 13 years old, I told my mother that I want to coach basketball, and not just coach basketball, I want to coach basketball at Cony,” Dennett said. “I was the girls basketball manager my freshman year under (former head coach) Jane Diplock and Jim Clark, right before (Paul Vachon). It was something I always wanted to do and changed my career to do this, and spent 18 years being successful at it. These last three years have been incredible.

“What stands out the most is the girls and the effort they gave me. Just the camaraderie. It wasn’t always easy. They played hard for each other. We had a together atmosphere … I got the most the most out of my kids. The effort they put in for that regional championship (was special).”

Maines said he’s already received several inquiries about the position.

“Our priority is we have to have someone who dives into the youth program,” Maines said. “We don’t have enough kids playing to sustain a quality program. We’re set out for success at the high school level, but we need a lot of work at the youth level.”