Legendary coach Wotton dies

By rbrown
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Updated: November 25, 2021

Rod Wotton courtesy photo

Former St. Thomas Aquinas coach Rod Wotton, who retired in 2010 as the winningest high school football coach in New England, has died. He was 82.

Wotton was a varsity football coach for 47 years. He began his coaching career at South Berwick (Maine) HIgh School in 1964.

He was perhaps best known for his success at Marshwood High School, which was then located in Eliot, Maine. His Marshwood teams had a 220-33-1 record and at one point had the longest winning streak in the nation (45 games). He resigned as Marshwood’s head coach in 1992 after winning 17 championship, including at least one in each of Maine’s four classes.

St. Thomas was arguably the worst program in New Hampshire when he took over there in 1996. The Saints had a 15-game losing streak when Wotton was hired, but made the championship game the following season (a loss to Somersworth). It was the first of five straight championship game appearances for St. Thomas.

Wotton guided the Saints to four championships: 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2006.

Wotton, who spent a brief time coaching at the University of New Hampshire, showed interest in becoming the head coach at Portsmouth High School before he accepted the position at St. Thomas.

Including his 15 seasons with St. Thomas, Wotton had a career record of 342-81-3.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring.