Mike Haley, who left an imprint on Maine high school football, died Wednesday.

Haley was a longtime coach and administrator at several high schools. He was best known for his 25 years as a football coach, particularly in Androscoggin and Oxford counties.

Haley had stints as the head coach at both Stephens and Rumford high schools in Rumford – “I was the last coach at Stephens and the first coach at Rumford,” Haley told the Portland Press Herald last year – as well as Lewiston, Edward Little, Oxford Hills, Rockland, Waterville and MCI.

“Mike Haley was probably one of the best people that I’ve ever known in my life because he held everybody to a task, and did it with humor, as well,” said current Edward Little football coach Dave Sterling, who played for Haley at EL in the late-1980s. “He knew how to push people to go beyond what they expected in life, and also make them feel like they were giving back to something bigger than themselves.”

Haley graduated from South Paris High in 1961. While there, he earned 15 varsity letters in four sports – football, basketball, baseball and track and field.

He went on to the University of Maine, where he played football and baseball. He was a co-captain for the football team, and received All-Maine honors three times and All-Yankee Conference once.

After college, Haley had pro baseball tryouts with the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins, and a pro football tryout with the Montreal Alouettes.

He started a career as a coach and educator as an assistant coach at Maine Maritime Academy. He then went to the high school ranks, starting in Rockland before two years in Rumford as the football and baseball coach.

After three years at Waterville, where he coached football, golf and gymnastics as well as serving as athletic director, Haley became the football coach at Lewiston in 1975. He also was the school’s athletic director. He coached the Blue Devils for three seasons, compiling a 13-13-1 record.

While at Lewiston, he and his teams faced off against rival Edward Little, led by legendary coach Lawrence “Doc” Hersom.

“He (Doc Hersom) thought he was a great coach and he always referred to Coach Haley’s teams, and how well prepared they would be and how well coached they would be,” said one of Hersom’s sons, Lawrence High Coach John Hersom. “I’m sure Coach Haley was thought of that way by a lot of the coaches.”

Hersom added: “My twin brother (Dirigo Coach Jim Hersom) and I were playing for my dad at Edward Little when Coach Haley was coaching at Lewiston. Those were some very close rivalry games, and Coach Haley was one of the top coaches in the state.”

Haley then went to Maine Central Institute, where he was the football coach and filled many other administrative roles.

In 1985, he became Edward Little’s coach. After five years there, he went back to Maine Maritime to serve as defensive coordinator, then was an athletic director or assistant principal (or both) at a handful of schools.

He also was involved in statewide organizations, including time as the chairman of the Maine Principals’ Association’s Football Committee in the 1990s and several years as executive secretary of the Maine Football Coaches Association.

“He was always thinking of coaches and what their needs were and was super-organized with the meetings he would conduct,” John Hersom said.

Just as Haley coached several sports, he also was on MPA committees for several, including hockey, basketball and track and field. He also officiated basketball for 30 years and umpired baseball for 25.

Haley was inducted in the MPA’s Hall of Excellence in 2017. The MPA also named its coach of the year award after him.

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