Bob Austin was a student teacher when he looked up his old Brunswick High School football coach, Keith Lancaster, and joined his football staff at Oxford Hills High School.

Thirty years later, he has had enough of coaching football.

Austin, the Vikings’ head coach for the last three years, is retiring from coaching.

“I think 30 years is enough,” Austin said in typically succinct fashion.

Austin started out as Lancaster’s offensive line coach and remained with the Vikings through four more head coaches – Mike Haley, Frank Stoutamyer, Ted Moccia and Paul Bickford.

He was Moccia’s defensive coordinator for six years, took a year off, returned as offensive line coach for the rest of Moccia’s tenure, then became offensive coordinator when Bickford succeeded Moccia.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “It’s been fun coaching for the five different coaches I worked for as an assistant, and the head coaching experience was fun, too.”

Austin accumlated an 8-17 record in three years as head coach. The Vikings went 5-4 and reached the quarterfinals in his first year. After a frustrating 0-8 campaign, Oxford Hills rebounded to a 3-5 record and narrowly missed the Pine Tree Conference playoffs last season.

Oxford Hills athletic director Jeff Benson praised Austin for his dedication to the school’s football players and his quiet professionalism.

“Bob is like EF Hutton – when he’s got something to say, people listen,” he added. “He is certainly going to be missed.”

“When you have given that much time and dedication to student-athletes, that’s just not replaceable,” he added.

Other than continuing to teach elementary phys ed at Rowe School in Norway, Austin doesn’t have many plans for his now-free autumn evenings right now.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen down the road. The last time I was out of coaching, I was out for a year. Hopefully, it will be longer than that this time,” he said with a chuckle.

“I’ve enjoyed working with the kids,” he said. “I think it’s time for somebody else to take over and give it a shot. I think there’s a good, talented bunch of kids coming back and all they need is some more numbers.”

Oxford Hills recently started advertising the position and has already received “a few responses.” Benson said. A search committee with parent, player, administrative and coaching representatives has been formed, he added.