Ace Flagg hopes to continue growth at University of Maine

Outgoing athletic director won CAA Commissioner’s Cup after adding men’s, women’s hockey during his tenure

Flagg constantly pursuing improvement and new challenges

ORONO, Maine — When he arrived in Orono in the fall of 2014, Ace Flagg said he wanted to “raise the bar” at the University of Maine. He believes he and his staff have done just that and now it will be up to new athletic director Ken Ralph to continue that upward trajectory.

After eight years, Flagg is stepping down from his post. He has accepted a position as chief operating officer of the Mid-American Conference, a 12-team, Football Bowl Subdivision league based in Cleveland.

Flagg, 53, oversaw the addition of men’s and women’s hockey during his tenure in Orono. Both teams play in state-of-the-art Alfond Arena on the renovated UMaine campus.

The Black Bears won the Commissioner’s Cup, an award given annually to the most successful overall athletic department in the Colonial Athletic Association, during the 2019-2020 academic year.

UMaine’s field hockey team won the America East championship in 2016 and advanced to the NCAA tournament.

Flagg brought back football coach Jack Cosgrove in December 2015. The Black Bears have posted four winning seasons in six years under his leadership, including a 10-4 record and a berth in the FCS playoffs in 2018.

Flagg is also a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee and has served as its chair for the past two years.

Ralph, 44, has been the athletic director at UT Martin in the Ohio Valley Conference since 2013. Prior to that, he worked for 13 years in the athletic department at the University of Memphis.

Ralph inherits a department that has made significant strides under Flagg’s leadership.

The athletic facilities have been upgraded, the academic performance of student-athletes has improved, and the department has been successful in fundraising.

Flagg said he’s confident that Ralph will continue to build on the success that the Black Bears have achieved in recent years.

“Ken is a rising star in the industry,” Flagg said. “He has a great vision for the future of UMaine Athletics, and I’m excited to see what he can accomplish here.”

Ralph said he’s grateful for the opportunity to lead the Black Bears.

“UMaine has a rich tradition of athletic success, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” Ralph said. “I’m looking forward to working with our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and community to continue the momentum that Ace has created.”