Bowdoin football coach B.J. Hammer on leave of absence
B.J. Hammer, in his seventh season as the head coach of the Bowdoin football team, is on a leave of absence from the program, school officials confirmed. The Brunswick school declined to offer a reason for Hammer’s absence or when he will return to the program.
Assistant coach Nick Turchyn was named the interim head coach in Hammer’s absence. Turchyn took over last week and led the Polar Bears during their 10-3 loss to Trinity on Saturday.
Bowdoin is 0-6 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference with three games remaining this season, including against rivals Bates (Nov. 7) and Colby (Nov. 14).
Hammer was hired by Bowdoin in 2019. Entering the 2026 season, Hammer was 13-41 with the Polar Bears. Before Bowdoin, Hammer had coach coaching stints at Division III Whittier College (2006-10) in California and Allegheny College (2016-18) in Pennsylvania.
Turchyn joined the Bowdoin staff this fall as tight ends coach. Prior to joining Bowdoin, Turchyn was offensive coordinator at Division III Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He also spent three years as senior analyst and quality control coach at Princeton.
Hammer is the second Division III football coach in Maine to go on a leave of absence this month. Jack Cosgrove, who has been charge at Colby since 2017, is taking a leave of absence “to prioritize providing care for a family member facing unforeseen health concerns,” according to the school. Offensive coordinator Mark Clements has taken over the head coaching duties while Cosgrove is away.
Bowdoin hosts Wesleyan (5-1) on Saturday afternoon at Whittier Field.
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Dave Dyer is in his second stint with the Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel. Dave was previously with the company from 2012-2015 and returned in late 2016. He spent most of 2016 doing freelance sports. More by Dave Dyer
