Henry Fall was looking for a career changes and thought now would be a good time to get into coaching.

The timing ended up being perfect for the the 2010 graduate of Mt. Ararat High School and Brunswick resident. The Bates College golf coach job opened up, and the 2014 Elms College graduate decided he should apply. A few weeks later, he was named the new head coach of the Bobcats.

“My former golf coach (Craig Cowles) at Elms College mentioned Bates College was looking for a head coach, and like I said it was perfect timing, as I was between things,” Fall said. “I applied —coaching and instruction has been a passion of mine for the past year or so. I really put more attention to that side of the sport, that side of the industry or business of golf.

“It was a dream scenario.”

Fall’s prior experience includes working at Bath Country Club as an assistant pro for a year and half, and prior to that he had the same role at Sugarloaf.

Bates athletic director Jason Fein believes Fall’s assistant pro experience will help him transition into coaching.

“We are delighted to welcome Henry to Bates,” Fein said in a news release. “His experience as a highly competitive student-athlete as well as his teaching experience make him a superb fit to lead the Bobcats on the golf course.”

Fall takes over for James Upton, who will continue to work with the Bates Nordic ski team, and Nick Glicos, the director of golf at Martindale, where Bates plays their home matches, who acted as an assistant coach.

While the two will no longer have an official capacity with the program, they are two people who Fall will lean on, especially in the near future as the season gets underway Sept. 7.

“Coach Upton, he works with the Nordic ski program, great guy, he has been really helpful with the transition here, with a lot of behind the scenes stuff especially,” Fall said. “(Glicos) has been definitely helpful as well, and I am sure each of them will be involved one way or another here in my first season. I will definitely use all their advice as we go along here.”

Fall has already reached out to his former golf coach and other coaches around the county to guide him as he transitions to the college game.

College golf isn’t something completely new because he played four seasons at Elms and faced a lot of NESCAC schools in his playing days. He was a two-time captain at Elms (in Chicopee, Massachusetts). Elms won New England Collegiate Conference titles in his freshman and senior seasons. In his senior season in 2014, Elms went to the NCAA Division III national tournament.

Fall said his experience playing against NESCAC schools should help.

“That’s one of the things I conveyed to a few of the players, that I have played these courses,” Fall said. “I have been there; we have competed there, and we won at some of these courses.

“Having played these courses and having been successful at these courses, knowing the atmosphere that’s going to be there, I think I can speak to that. I think my experiences there are only going to help them feel comfortable and go out and play the best they can.”

Fall said he has met with five freshmen and some of the captains so far.

While golf is an individual sport, he does want the players to play for each other.

“There some things behind the scenes and on the golf course where if your team is together and there’s a sense of camaraderie, team spirit and support, that can certainly help everybody in playing better, everyone playing for each other,” Fall said. “That’s a sense of team that I want to bring as well.

“Yeah, it’s an individual sport and we are all trying to get better in that sense, whether it’s in the gym, whether it’s mentally or short game, whatever it maybe. But we also want a sense of team, we also want to play for each other, and I think that’s important to bring into any college team.”

Fall has looked up the results of the Bobcats the past few seasons. It was a mixed bag for both the men’s and women’s teams a year ago.

The men’s team won the CBB fall tournament and came in third of 10 teams at the Maine state championships, but also finished ninth of 10 teams at the NESCAC fall qualifier and 22nd of 23 teams at the NEIGA championships.

The women’s team finished third of four teams at the Bowdoin Invitational and the Bates Invitational while finishing last at the NESCAC championships.

Fall said that the Bobcats can improve.

“I think we are going to be competitive, both men and women. I think there’s room to grow. and I am excited about that,” Fall said. “I am excited to see what parts of the game we can work on, but as we get into season here, there’s not going to be a lot of dramatic changes to their game. At the end of the day, it’s having a good strategy and being in the right mental frame of mind.”

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