Milo native takes over as Maine Central Institute girls basketball coach

PITTSFIELD — Levi Ladd was the Maine Central Institute girls JV basketball coach in 2008.

Now the Milo native is back at the Pittsfield school as the varsity coach.

Ladd, who took more than 10 years off from coaching to raise a family, replaces Jordan Larlee, who resigned after three seasons for personal reasons according to MCI athletic director Jim Leonard.

Larlee’s teams posted a 26-32 overall record with two Class B North tournament quarterfinal appearances. 

Photo courtesy of MCI athletics
Levi Ladd has been hired as the varsity girls basketball coach at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield

“This is a great opportunity,” the 37-year-old Ladd said. “It’s a good school and there are a lot of good people in the community.

“We have a young roster but there is a lot of potential if we can keep the group together the next couple of seasons.”

Ladd inherits a team that went 4-14 last season with four seniors, a junior, two sophomores and four freshmen on it.

“I’m big on team continuity. Basketball is an unforgiving sport if you don’t have all five players in the same place mentally and in terms of commitment. You can’t hide anybody on the floor,” Ladd said.

He places a high priority on tenacious team defense, playing hard all the time, and being an aggressive rebounding team.

“If you don’t rebound, you won’t play,” he said.

Ladd, who lives in Dexter, is a University of Maine at Farmington graduate who is a surveyor and reality capture manager for the James W. Sewall Co. in Old Town.

He played soccer, baseball and basketball and also ran track at Penquis High School. He was on coach Tony Hamlin’s 2000 Class C state championship basketball team.

Ladd said Hamlin taught him the value of team continuity and discipline. 

Ladd previously was the JV boys basketball coach at Carrabec High School in North Anson.

Ladd said the MCI boosters group sent him videos of all of last season’s games and he is going to study them to acclimate myself and see what he has.

Leonard said Ladd was one of 14 applicants.

“He was very energetic. And he seemed to be very well-prepared,” Leonard said. “He knows a lot about the game and one of his first questions to us was about access to game film. It was clear he likes to study the game.”

Leonard expects him to be totally immersed in the program and in the school.

“He’s an all-in [type of guy],” Leonard said.