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“We began the search looking for the best coach for the [University of Maine] baseball program and we found that person in Steve Trimper,” said University of Maine athletic director Blake James.
He is here to stay, with the ultimate goal of bringing Black Bear baseball back to national prominence like in the 1980s. If it weren’t for a move 16 years ago, who knows where Trimper would be today.
After a successful first-year season in which a team advances to the NAIA World Series, the last thing anyone would expect is a player to transfer. Following the 1989 season at Elon College, Trimper did just that.
With the departure of head coach Rick Jones, who left for the head coaching position at Tulane University, Trimper wanted a better fit. Nearly 700 miles up the east coast, he found Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU), which set him on the fast track to coaching and paving the way to the University of Maine.
“ECSU was probably the best thing that ever happened to my life,” Trimper said. “I played for Bill Holowaty, whose son [Jared] is now an assistant for me. He was a great mentor, great teacher and really taught me a lot about mental toughness and what it takes to be a great player, person and coach.”
While at ECSU, Trimper was also greeted with success in his first season, as he was part of the 1990 Division III National Championship team. He went on to play two more seasons for the Warriors and in 1992, Trimper graduated with a degree in physical education.
Upon graduation, the door to coaching was open and he was given an opportunity to coach at Wentworth College in Boston.
“I was given a shot to be an assistant coach,” Trimper said. “There I was at age 22, in the coaching ranks.”
After two seasons at Wentworth College, where he served as associate head coach, Trimper became an assistant coach at the University of Vermont, where he served from 1994-1998.
Following a successful stint at Vermont where the Catamounts posted a winning record and appeared in the America East Conference tournament three times, Trimper was handed the keys to the Manhattan College program.
“Manhattan was a great place for me to start my career,” Trimper said. “With no facilities – no field or locker rooms – it made you appreciate what you had.”
In addition to his coaching duties and the hardships involved without having facilities, Trimper served as the director of marketing for the athletic department.
Despite having more duties than a normal college baseball coach, in his seven years at Manhattan, Trimper led the Jaspers to 20 or more wins in each of his seasons and ranks second on the all-time wins’ list at the school. He also had three players drafted in 2004, including pitcher Mike Parisi who is currently on the St. Louis Cardinals 40-man roster.
In the summer of 2005, after head coach Paul Kostacopoulos took the same position at the Naval Academy, UMaine was looking for a candidate to replace the man who brought back the winning ways to a storied program. They turned their sights to Trimper and offered him the job.
“With my two daughters going into school, Maine was the place where I wanted my family to be,” Trimper said. “Along with the tradition of Maine baseball, this was the place for me.”
According to Trimper, leaving Manhattan College was difficult.
“Luckily my assistant got the job, so it was in good hands,” Trimper said.
From the outset of his tenure at UMaine, there were three constants Trimper was going to bring to Orono: intensity, competition and recruitment.
“He is very intense, and it really brushes off on all of us,” said first-year right-hander Matt Jebb. “Everyone in the locker room gets really pumped up to play, and it really helps us.”
In addition to the competitive nature, Trimper has made it known that his Black Bears will play a tough non-conference schedule.
Last season, the Black Bears played one of the toughest schedules, heading College World Series participant Arizona State and traditional-power Miami. This season, the schedule wasn’t any easier as UMaine once again traveled out west to play UNLV and played the likes of Miami, Florida International, Ohio State and Notre Dame in Florida.
Lastly, with a young ball club that is producing on the field, Trimper is well known for his recruitment. Despite having very little to work with at Manhattan, he recruited several student athletes who became all-conference performers and eventually became professionals.
In his first full season of recruiting at UMaine, Trimper hauled in reigning America East Rookie of the Year Myckie Lugbauer; and this season brought in a class headlined by first-year pitchers Kyle Benoit, Kevin Scanlan and Matt Jebb as well as transfers Joe Miller and Joe Mercurio. Benoit was drafted in the 36th round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft, but elected to attend UMaine.
“[Trimper] goes after what he wants extremely hard,” Scanlan said. “He would call me like once every week and ask me what I was thinking about with other colleges and stuff. He let it be known that he wanted me.”
While UMaine has been seen as a stepping stone for many coaches, Trimper has a different plan as coach of the Black Bears.
“I don’t see Maine as a stepping stone,” he said. “Number one, I got family [and] that is very important to me. Number two, I see the potential to take this place to new levels – it doesn’t happen overnight. We have a great grassroots support system, and there [are] little things like fixing this field that are going to help me get over the top. I have a 10-15 year plan.”
In year three, Trimper is well on his way to putting UMaine baseball back on the map.
