SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine—The Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) Athletic Department has announced the hiring of AJ Burton as Head Golf Coach effective immediately. Burton has worked as a contributing member of the department staff since August of 2016 in a multitude of positions. In addition to his role on the golf course, Coach Burton will continue to serve as the Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Game Management Supervisor, and adjunct faculty member in the Sport Management degree program at the College.
Joining the staff as Assistant Coach is John LeMieux who holds over 20 years of college coaching experience. LeMieux is an active member of the amputee golf community and founder of the Maine Amputee Open—an annual tournament that provides education and support for those with limb loss. LeMieux leads by example as a nationally-ranked golfer in the amputee circuit himself.
The golf program will again utilize Purpoodock Golf Club (Cape Elizabeth) as its home course and compete against a 7-team conference match schedule this fall.
Commenting on his appointment, Burton expressed, “First I would like to thank Matt Richards and Ethan Wells for giving me this great opportunity. Being a Head Coach has always been a goal I wanted to achieve, and I can’t wait to begin this new chapter with the SMCC Athletic Department. Having a mentor like John LeMieux help out with the program will be an added benefit for both myself and the student-athletes. Our goal is to always exemplify high character and be the best versions of ourselves both individually and as a team.”
Associate Dean of Students and Director of Athletics, Matt Richards stated, “Coach Burton’s track record here at SMCC provides great stability and a level of accountability to the team; and the addition of Coach LeMieux will aid in the golf development of our student-athletes. Under this coaching leadership, I am hugely optimistic for the direction of the program to be a competitive member of the Yankee Small College Conference.”
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