And Paul Kostacopoulos knows baseball. When he was named the 23rd head coach of the UMaine baseball program, Kostacopoulos was charged with rejuvenating a program that had not enjoyed a winning season since 1993, while at the same time rallying the state of Maine behind Black Bear baseball. Heading into his fourth season as mentor of the program, all evidence points to success in reaching those goals. Facility improvements are in the works as fundraising accelerates. The Black Bears are again getting some of the top talent in the northeast, with new recruiting beds beyond New England being cultivated.
Talk is once more in the air of conference championships and post-season play.
In 1995, Kosty's Friars were 44-15 overall and won a school record 16 Big East games. Providence was 29-23 in 1992 and won the Big East Tournament to advance to the NCAA South I Regional. Kostacopoulos served as an assistant at Providence for two seasons before 1990, when at age 25, he became the youngest Division I head coach in the country. He received his bachelor's degree from Providence College in 1987, capping a four-year career as a member of the Friar baseball team. He played 139 games and batted .260.