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Of course, Frank True cherishes the moment his Mt. Ararat football team won the inaugural eight-man football state championship in 2019. But getting to see his players grow and develop over the course of their careers was the greater prize.

“When I took over, there wasn’t a lot of success at Mt. Ararat,” True said. “To be able to develop the kids and watch them be able to play JV games and play against their peers, and then start to have success at the JV level, as well as at the varsity level. The success of the kids and watching them develop into better football players and better young men, that’s what the special part to me is. … I think we built a pretty good culture and a family environment there.”

After two stints at Mt. Ararat, as well as nearly 20 years as a youth and high school football coach in the Midcoast, True is hanging up his whistle.

He retires as the winningest coach in program history with 54 wins during his two stints leading the Eagles, from 2011-2014 and 2019-2025. True, a 1986 Mt. Ararat graduate, started as an assistant coach under Erik Sargent and Mark LaFountain from 2005-2010. He also coached at Hyde School in Bath, which now co-ops with Mt. Ararat, and for the Brunswick Area Youth Football League (BAYFL) in between his two stints in Topsham.

True had contemplated retirement during previous seasons due to the time commitment and travel needed for his career in the Veterans Health Administration, but he retired from that position over the summer.

A new job with High Tech Fire Protection based in Poland, a desire to spend more time with his family, and the program’s stability all factored in to True’s decision to step away after the 2025 season.

“It’s time,” True said. “I’m leaving the program in a pretty good spot, where there’s plenty of talent still on the team, the numbers have been steady, right around 30 or so. The numbers are all right, the culture, everything there is in place now for a coach to be able to come in and take over a good situation.”

From 2011-2018, Mt. Ararat went 14-55 in Class A and B. Since True returned as the head coach and the team moved from 11-man to eight-man football, Mt. Ararat has gone 44-15, had a winning record each season, reached the state championship game twice and won the inaugural eight-man football state championship over Old Orchard Beach in 2019.

True earned his 50th career win this year with a 58-22 victory over Lake Region on Oct. 3. The Eagles finished the 2025 season at 8-2 and lost to Spruce Mountain in the Large school South regional final, the team’s fourth appearance in five years.

True was initially hired by athletic director Colin Roy in 2011 and rehired by Geoff Godo in 2019.

Heidi Wright, Mt. Ararat’s current athletic director, said in an email that “continu(ing) the positive culture that Frank has helped establish” is one of the things she will be looking for in candidates to replace True.

“Frank True has been an incredible part of the Mt. Ararat football program and the MTA athletics department,” Wright wrote. “His dedication to our student-athletes, commitment to building a strong program, and leadership both on and off the field have left a lasting impact. Personally, I’ve really enjoyed working with him this past year; he’s been collaborative, supportive, and focused on the best interests of the students.”

Wright said the search will begin shortly, and she hopes to have the position filled by the end of the school year.

Assistant coaches Frankie True and Derek True, Frank True’s sons, are also stepping down. The brothers played for the Eagles while their father was an assistant coach, and have been on the sidelines with him since 2019.

“That’s really what (kept) me going for such a long time,” Frank True said. “Spending time with my sons, watching them grow as coaches, watching the way that they interacted with the kids, and how we were in meetings — spending so much time with them was really special to me.”

True isn’t decided what’s next, but he’s excited to have more time with his grandchildren and to be able to watch them play football. He has also considered becoming a referee.

True was named the Campbell Conference eight-man Large School South coach of the year from 2022-24. 

The Eagles were awarded the 2025 Maine Principals’ Association eight-man Large School South Sportsmanship Award.