Bridgton Academy (Me.) boys basketball coach Whit Lesure unexpectedly passed away on Monday at the age of 66.
A New England basketball Hall of Famer, Lesure was the head coach of Bridgton since 1997. He helped build the program into one of the best and most well-respected in all of NEPSAC. Lesure’s teams won four NEPSAC championships during his long tenure.
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Bridgton Academy released a statement on Lesure’s sudden passing:
“The entire Bridgton Academy community is devastated by the loss of Basketball Coach Whit Lesure, 66, who passed away early this morning after a medical emergency at his home on campus. Coach Lesure won four NEPSAC AAA championships during his 29-year tenure at Bridgton Academy, earning him admission into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. He was beloved by his players, as well as the students who turned to him for support in his role as advisor, dorm parent, and college counselor. He was deeply admired and respected by his colleagues on campus and fellow basketball coaches everywhere. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Marybeth and the Lesure family. Coach Whit’s passing leaves an enormous hole in our hearts and in our community.”
Lesure played at Hobart College in New York and first stepped into coaching in the early 1980s. He led New Hampton (N.H.) for a decade, then spent time with the University of New Hampshire before beginning his stint at Bridgton, where he became a legendary figure in the New England hoops world.
Lesure was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 after winning four titles in a five-year span. Last fall, Bridgton named its court at Memorial Gymnasium after Lesure. Known as a player-first coach who cared about development, Lesure touched the lives of many during his four-decade-plus coaching career.
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“During his tenure leading the Wolverines, Bridgton basketball has become synonymous with individual player development, hard work, and team accomplishment,” the school’s website previously wrote of Lesure. “Lesure’s tenure has included multiple NEPSAC championships and coaching numerous alumni who have gone on to successfully pursue their dreams at all levels of play. That said, he is most proud of the lasting relationships that he has formed spanning a lifetime in the game.”
