WINTHROP – As exciting as last year’s season ended for the Winthrop girls’ basketball team, the campaign that followed was equally disappointing.

After the Ramblers finished 4-14 and missed the playoffs last month, Glen Chase decided to resign after just two seasons. He made it official Monday.

“After meeting with (athletic director) Eric Turner last week, we made the decision that it was the best for the program to step down,” said Chase.

Chase met with Turner for an annual postseason review that is done for all coaches. During that meeting, Chase determined it was the right move.

“It was a mutual decision,” he said. “The connection you want from all your players in regards to a new coach had been up and down. Obviously, we had a tough season, coming off a great postseason run we had last year. We’ve got a very young program. There’s definitely a lot of potential there.”

In Chase’s first season, the Ramblers went 8-10 and finished seventh in Western C. Winthrop won its prelim, knocked off second-ranked Waynflete and stunned Jay in the semifinals. The Ramblers lost in the regional final to Mt. Abram, which won the state game a week later.

Last year, with four starters back, Winthrop struggled and produced its worst record since going 7-11 in 1984. It was just the third losing season in the program’s history. The Ramblers missed the tournament, ending a streak of 23 consecutive tourney appearances dating back to 1984.

“You never want to leave,” said Chase. “You never want to say you quit. I’m not looking at it as quitting. It’s just what’s best for the kids.”

Winthrop only graduates three seniors and has promising talent in the freshmen and sophomore classes.

Chase says he’s interested in coaching elsewhere. He’ll keep track of openings that appear during the offseason and see if a situation suits him.

The Winthrop boys’ job is currently open after Dennis Dacus resigned. Chase says he can’t say whether he has interest in that job right now, but he might lean toward coaching a boys’ team in the future. Chase has coached middle school football in Winthrop the last two years and also coached track while he was an assistant girls’ basketball coach in Orono.

“It’s too early to say on anything,” said Chase about the Winthrop boys’ job. “I am leaning toward coaching boys. Not just because of this situation. It’s just something that’s always been in the back of my mind. The style of basketball I like to play is exactly what the Winthrop boys’ did this year. It takes a very special group of girls to do that, and you don’t find those very often.”

After having just two coaches between 1975 and 2002, the Winthrop program is now searching for its fourth coach in six years.