BRUNSWICK

Gene Keene figures he spends 280 hours a year on the road commuting from his Auburn home to Brunswick High School where he has been the school’s athletic administrator for eight years.

He says that’s seven weeks each and every year he can’t get back. At the age of 58, Keene received an unexpected “gift” recently with the resignation of St. Dom’s athletic administrator Lee Hixon.

And St. Dom’s is located where? Yes, Auburn, nestled a stone’s throw behind the Auburn Mall.

The affable Keene tendered his resignation Wednesday and announced that he will assume the St. Dom’s position this fall. He’ll be going from a 1,000-student Class A school to a Class C institution, but a school with numerous thriving programs.

“Saint Dominic Academy is very fortunate to have found such a high quality replacement for Lee Hixon,” said principal Donald Fournier. “Mr. Keene brings years of experience to the position.”

Keene oversaw 22 different sports programs at Brunswick. Keene, who graduated from the University of Maine in Orono in 1978, is a member of Edward Little High School’s class of 1973.

“Since he is from Auburn, he understands the high expectations we have for our student/athletes and coaches,” said Fournier.

Keene is excited and upbeat about this new course he is undertaking.

“I’m at the point now where it’s not so much about the money, but with the quality of life. That’s seven weeks I can’t get back … driving back and forth from my home to Brunswick,” said Keene, who has been in the education process for 35 years, also as a mathematics teacher and physical education instructor.

“Really, I want to be able to spend more time with my wife and family. As it is now, I’ve been here eight years and she spends three to five nights a week alone, while I’m at some game.

“I live a mile from St. Dom’s, so I could actually walk to work if I wanted to.”

Another factor would be the decrease in night game’s at St. Dom’s whereas on a weekly basis, Brunswick hosts a myriad of night contests, including Friday football, soccer, lacrosse. Both schools offer ice hockey and basketball, traditional night sports.

“Hopefully, there would be no more of me sitting in my office from 2:30 to seven o’clock, waiting to set up an athletic event,” said Keene.

“But, I’m not complaining and I have no complaints here at all. There are great people here and I can’t say enough about them. Hopefully, I was able to work for them to help give them what they needed to run their programs.”

Still, there is a little hesitation.

“This is a big step for me at this at this stage of life … this is a bit scary.

“Brunswick’s been great. But, it’s now time for Gene to give some time back to his wife.”