By Justin Pelletier,Staff Writer

Now you see him, now you don’t.

At least it may feel that way for some of the hockey players at the University of Maine when it comes to Jamie Dumont.

Dumont, a Lewiston native and former assistant with Division III Bowdoin College, has taken a job as a full-time assistant ice hockey coach at Division I Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

“It was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up,” said Dumont. “They called me up to ask if I wanted to interview for the position, and I told them they had to talk to (Maine head coach) Tim Whitehead and get permission. Tim was phenomenal, very supportive.”

Dumont and Bowling Green needed Whitehead’s permission in the first place because Dumont was just getting settled as an assistant under Whitehead at Maine. Less than three months into the part-time job, though, Whitehead told Dumont he’d be crazy not to explore Bowling Green’s offer.

“He basically told me, you know, full time coaching jobs don’t grow on trees,” said Dumont. “I came out here for an interview and then went home (to Lewiston). I didn’t know when I got into my car next if I was going to be driving to Bangor or to Bowling Green. They called me up and offered me the job almost right away.”

“We are really excited to have Jamie join the Bowling Green program,” said Bowling Green head coach Scott Paluch in a press release Tuesday. “He brings a great amount of enthusiasm and work ethic to our team. Jamie has worked for some outstanding coaches and is an outstanding on ice teacher and tireless recruiter.”

Dumont’s primary recruiting responsibilities with Bowling Green will involve Western Canada and the USHL, which he said would “give him a chance to see more of the country.”

“I’ve been scouting in the Northeast and in Eastern Canada until now,” said Dumont. “This is a good chance to spread out and see some good hockey in other parts of the country.”

Prior to taking the job at Maine over the summer, Dumont was an assistant for three years under Terry Meagher at Bowdoin.

Dumont played youth hockey in Lewiston before playing high school hockey for Mount St. Charles in Woonsocket, R.I. He helped the Mounties continue their string of consecutive state titles, which ended in 2004 after 26 state titles, the longest such streak in United States high school hockey history.

From there, Dumont played for four years at Oswego State University, where he lettered and helped his team to the playoffs each year. He began his coaching career at Oswego and helped guide the Lakers to the NCAA quarterfinals in 1998. He then went to Hobart College for two years, before accepting a position as the hockey and coaching director for the Wyoming Amateur Hockey Association.

In 2000 and through 2001, Dumont served as a scout for the Chicago Freeze of the North American Hockey League, then coached by current Maine women’s coach Guy Perron. From there he landed the job at Bowdoin under Meagher.

In the wake of Dumont’s decision to leave, Maine was proactive in finding his replacement. Dan Kerluke, who has coached at Bangor High School for the last three season, and who played in 152 games for the Black Bears from 1997-2001, is the newest assistant coach under Whitehead.

“It kind of blind-sided me,” said Kerluke. “It was all of a sudden, and I’m very fortunate to have this chance.”

At Bangor, Kerluke has led the Rams to the playoffs in each of his three season. Last year, the Rams won 18 games, the most in school history.

“We are thrilled that Dan Kerluke will be joining our staff this season,” said Whitehead in a press release Wednesday. “He has done a fabulous job with Bangor High School and he is a talented young coach.”

At Maine, Kerluke had 54 goals and 54 assists for 108 points in four years, and was an integral part of the 1998-99 Maine squad that won a national title. That year, Kerluke played in 41 games and had 23 goals and 42 points, and he had at least one point in every post-season game during the team’s run to the title.

“I understand the expectations on this program,” said Kerluke. “I know what has to go into it and the traditions that are expected here. There pressure on the program to perform well every year. It’s great to talk to the kids, to let them know how hard I worked to make it to the title in 1999. It was the hardest thing I had done, but it was also the best thing.”