The University of Maine announced that Jack Cosgrove, its most victorious football coach, will be honored with a place in the program’s Ring of Honor during the 2026 season.
A Legacy of Excellence
Over a 23‑year tenure, Cosgrove compiled 129 wins, coaching a school‑record 264 games and guiding the Black Bears to three conference championships and five NCAA postseason appearances.
His teams broke new ground with historic victories over FBS opponents, including a 2004 win at Mississippi State and a 2013 triumph at UMass, marking the program’s first such achievements.
Beyond the field, Cosgrove championed academic excellence, overseeing NCAA Academic Progress Rates that consistently exceeded 950 and earning multiple CAA All‑Academic recognitions for his players.
The coach’s impact was further acknowledged with honors such as the American Football Monthly I‑AA National Coach of the Year (2001), induction into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame (2013), and repeated selections as New England Football Writers’ FCS Coach of the Year.
Cosgrove also mentored 20 All‑Americans, three NFL draft picks and three Buck Buchanan Award finalists, while his former quarterbacks earned All‑Yankee Conference honors during their collegiate careers.
A native of the region, Cosgrove earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in educational administration from UMaine in 1978 and 1981, respectively, and previously distinguished himself as a two‑time second‑team All‑Yankee Conference quarterback and ECAC All‑Star.