Brewer High School

Michael Jeffrey, Coach 1985-1996: Soccer 

Michael Jeffrey’s incredible passion for the sport of soccer has been a driving force throughout his life. This passion led him to establishing Brewer High School’s first soccer program in 1985 and he is undoubtedly the most successful soccer coach in school history. His impact on soccer at Brewer and around the state is legendary, and there is no other coach, past or present, to impact the sport more in the state of Maine. 

Jeffrey’s trajectory into coaching began first as a terrific student-athlete. He excelled in three sports at Timberlane Regional High School in Plaistow, New Hampshire: soccer, basketball and track. He earned 11 varsity letters and was one of the best high school soccer players in New Hampshire, dominating the midfield position. Participating in the long jump and 440-yard relay events in track, Jeffrey was also a superior distance runner, setting a school record in the 880-yard run. His record time of 1:58.6 places him third on Timberlane's All-Time Top 20 list, 55 years later. (For perspective, that time would be #2 on Brewer’s Top 20 List!) 

After graduating as valedictorian, Jeffrey attended Wesleyan University where he played four years of varsity soccer. Lettering all four years, he starred as a striker who could put the ball in the back of the net and led the team in goals scored his junior and senior seasons. He was selected to the All-Three All-Star Soccer Team in 1973 which included superior athletes from Williams, Amherst and Wesleyan colleges. His talent brought him opportunities to play on the Hartford Ukrainian Semi-Pro team in 1972 and the New Britain Falcons Semi-Pro team in 1973. His passion for playing soccer continued for nearly fifty years, participating in Maine summer and indoor soccer leagues. 

Jeffrey began his coaching career as an assistant soccer coach at the University of Maine in 1975. After a few years of teaching and coaching in Aroostook County, his true coaching foundation began at Mount Desert Island High School where he led a variety of sports from freshman football to track. He had tremendous success as the MDI Indoor Track coach from 1978 to 1982. His girls’ teams won three consecutive EMITL championships (79, 80, 81) and three consecutive Class B State Championships (80, 81, 82). Also while at MDI, he became the head coach of the sport he truly loved for the first time, coaching soccer (girls) in 1983 and 1984.  

In 1985, Jeffrey was hired as a history teacher at Brewer High school. At that time, Brewer did not have a soccer program but there was an undercurrent among students to start one so Jeffrey seized the opportunity. At the organizational meeting, he recalls the excitement from the boys interested in starting a soccer club, “The boys kept looking out into the hallway and laughing and I noticed there were a bunch of girls standing in the hall. I asked them what they wanted and they said they wanted to join the soccer team too. So, I invited them in and that started the soccer program at Brewer!” That first season, Jeffrey coached both the boys and girls with both teams having only a few scrimmages against opposing schools. After one season designated only as club teams, Brewer instituted varsity programs in soccer in the fall of 1986. Jeffrey remained the Head Boys’ Coach for the next decade.  

The first few years of the boys’ soccer program, Jeffrey focused on fundamentals and teaching the skills needed to be successful. From 1990 to 1994, Brewer had a 43-20-7 regular season record and became a force in Eastern Maine soccer, making the tournament every year. Twice they made it to the Eastern Maine Class A Regional Championship, the only time in school history that Brewer soccer has reached this level of success. David Gregory ‘91, the best soccer player in Brewer school history and a 2019 Brewer Hall of Fame Inductee said, “I was fortunate to play games in Europe, in Canada, and around the country, including at the University of Maine at Orono. I was most inspired and had the most joy playing for Coach Jeffrey. He led us through the sharing of his passion and dedication. He has always been a role model of professionalism and has shared with his players the importance of integrity, which continues to impact me to this day.”

Jeffrey’s passion for the sport of soccer in Maine is unparalleled. Well respected throughout the state, he has been the liaison to the MPA soccer committee since 1989. Although a position normally filled by individuals actively coaching, coaches in the state still want Jeffrey representing them even since his retirement nearly 30 years ago. He has also been the President of the Maine Soccer Coaches since 1989. Mike Bisson, the Asst. Executive director of the Maine Principals’ Association says “Michael Jeffrey has been instrumental in the growth of soccer in Maine as an official and as the President of the Maine Soccer Coaches. He is responsible for the organizing of the Senior All-Star Games and Banquets. The MSC website, which he developed and maintains, is the sole authority on the history of soccer in Maine. He has exhaustively researched and found the records for every school and coach in Maine. This site contains all of the Heal Point Standings since their inception as a ranking tool in soccer, state championship results, coaching wins, all-state selections, and on and on. Michael Jeffrey is a pleasure to work with and represents the soccer coaches and officials with the utmost professionalism”. 

Jeffrey retired from coaching after the 1996 season to spend time watching his sons play soccer for Bangor. His son Jay earned All-American honors, his son Ryan made the All-New England Team and his son Kyle scored the winning goal in the 2016 Maine Class A State Championship! After 33 years, Jeffrey retired from teaching at Brewer High School in 2018. He lives in Bangor, with his wife Alayna (Brewer Class of 1979). Dave Gregory sums him up best, “Michael Jeffrey’s dedication to Brewer High School athletics and his broader contributions to Maine high school sports embody the mission of the Brewer Athletic Hall of Fame. His achievements in coaching, leadership roles, and innovation have brought recognition not only to himself but also to Brewer High School. His legacy serves as an inspiration to current and future student-athletes.”  Michael Jeffrey is still pursuing all things soccer in a never-ending quest.  

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INDUCTION AND ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OF MICHAEL JEFFREY

Inductee Michael Jeffrey and Presenter David Hamel