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When Jason Versey was hired as the Lewiston High School football coach in 2022, he called it an “absolute dream come true.” 

The experience lived up to the expectation, he said after announcing his decision to step down last week following four seasons as the Blue Devils’ head coach.

Versey, a 1989 Lewiston graduate and key member of the 1987 state championship team, went 14-23 with three Class A playoff appearances. 

“Honestly, this was the greatest privilege of my lifetime,” Versey said. “I was so honored to be the head football coach. I’ll never forget the relationships and the absolute joy that this program has given me in my life. I just wanted to give everything I had to this program, and I believe that I did that.”

Versey announced his decision on social media, citing increased demands with his personal family life and professional career at Clean Harbors Environmental Services that would take time and attention away from football. If he couldn’t give 100%, Versey didn’t think it would be fair to remain the head coach. 

“I think that’s what made it so hard to make this decision, because I really do consider these kids, these players, as my family,” he said. “It’s a very, very tough decision to make, but I know that it can’t be about me. I really want the program to continue to succeed, and they need a full-time guy that’s going to give it (their) all. It’ll be somebody else’s dream and joy and absolute privilege to be the head football coach, and I’m ready to pass that torch.”

Prior to Versey taking over in 2022, the Blue Devils won two games in each of the three previous seasons and hadn’t had a winning record since 2011. In his first season, Lewiston went 5-4, earned the No. 3 seed in Class A and hosted Sanford in the quarterfinals. 

In 2023, Lewiston went 4-6 and qualified for the postseason as the No. 4 seed in the North after beating Edward Little in an emotional Battle of the Bridge rivalry game, one week after Maine’s deadliest mass shooting.

“The bigger picture is the fact we came together as a community,” Versey told the Sun Journal after the game. “We were united. When this day is passed, no one is going to remember that score. Honestly, they are going to remember how they felt when they got here and how we were able to lift up folks that are hurting right now and start the process of healing. I promise you in five years, no one is going to remember the scoreboard. They are going to remember this event and how special it was.”

Lewiston was awarded the 2023 Maine Principals’ Association Class A North Sportsmanship Award. 

In 2024, Lewiston went 5-4 and made its third straight playoff appearance as the North’s second seed. The Blue Devils were winless this past fall, as graduation and academic ineligibility impacted the roster, but Versey believes the 0-9 season will help in the long run, with the younger players getting ample varsity experience.

Athletic director Jason Fuller said Versey was able to achieve success because of his relationship building skills. 

“He did a great job of connecting with the kids, and because of that, they bought into what he was (bringing to) the program,” Fuller said. “I think they saw he was fully committed, and in turn, they matched that energy. As a result, we had some good seasons. The talent level was definitely up when he came in. That’s a credit to the kids, too. I think it was a good combination of his energy, positivity and some really good football players coming into the program at the same time.”

Fuller said he has received a number of applications already and will start to look through them in the coming weeks. He would like to name a new coach in early January so an offseason program can take shape.