BATES FOOTBALL COACH ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION
 

LEWISTON, Maine -- Bates College head football coach and assistant professor of physical education Rick Pardy has announced his resignation effective immediately.

In making the announcement Friday afternoon, Pardy expressed his appreciation to the players, his colleagues and others who have supported his work in building the program. Pardy was praised for his dedicated commitment and efforts to move the College toward a viable program, and his achievements of assisting Bates students to learn and develop by Suzanne R. Coffey, director of athletics, and by College President Donald W. Harward.

"Rick Pardy demonstrated personal and professional strengths that aided Bates and those associated with the College's athletic programs," Coffey said. "He brought to Bates coaching skills, integrity, and professional judgement that served the College exceedingly well. We take pride in his work and his accomplishments; we wish him and his family the very best."

The College will begin an immediate search for a new head coach for its football program.

Pardy joined Bates College in 1992 following three seasons as head coach at Marist College where his team was 17-11-2. During his six seasons at Bates, the football team was 2-46. A 1983 graduate of Ithaca College, Pardy began his coaching career as a defensive line coach at the State University of New York at Albany, where he also received his master's degree in higher education administration.

Bates College operates twenty-eight varsity programs and is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (along with Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams) and participates in NCAA Division III competition.