Walter Polky is the new Lisbon High head football coach.

“We just thought with his experience and his background, that he could come in and earn the respect and the trust of the students and and make some positive changes,” Lisbon athletic director Chris Spaulding said.

Polky is tasked with turning around a program whose 2024 season was derailed by hazing allegations. The Greyhounds forfeited their final four games of the season and had seven players removed from the team.

An independent investigation, completed in late October by lawyers at Portland law firm Drummond Woodsum, concluded that hazing “occurred among the Lisbon High School football team this season and possibly prior seasons.”

Spaulding added that Polky’s experience made him the right candidate to “come in and address our culture.” Polky replaces Chris Kates, whose contract was not renewed by the school.

Polky’s held several coaching positions in Maine. He started at Husson University in 2007 as the outside linebackers coach. He also held coaching positions at Spruce Mountain, Messalonskee and Cony.

Polky comes to Lisbon with plenty of experience, but also with some questionable exits at a few schools.

In 2016 at Spruce Mountain, Polky abruptly resigned as head coach midway through the season.

“I’m not getting into detail because there’s a lot of nonsense,” he told the Sun Journal in a 2016 interview.

In 2022, while coaching Messalonskee, Polky departed the program after a 1-4 start. Messalonskee athletic director Chad Foye said at the time it was a “personnel decision.”