Marshwood High has acted quickly to fill its head football coaching position, hiring defensive coordinator Andrew Elwell to replace Alex Rotsko, who announced his retirement on Thursday.

Elwell, who also coached the offensive line, had been on Rotsko’s staff since 2015. According to a school press release, Elwell has been named the interim head coach.

Elwell, 40, said it was important to name a replacement for Rotsko quickly to help maintain continuity with the program. Elwell noted that immediately after his interview, he went to a Little Hawks football camp to work with 50 first- to eighth-grade players.

While his title is “interim head coach,” Elwell said he’s committed to the Marshwood program. Elwell was a standout athlete at Marshwood, graduating in 2004, and was a three-year starter as an offensive lineman at the University of New Hampshire, where he graduated in 2009.

“I truly mean that everything good in my life is correlated to this program,” Elwell said Friday morning. “In high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do and college wasn’t even in the picture, and this program opened up doors I never knew I had. I’m so grateful and I just want to give back.”

Rotsko was one of the most successful coaches in New England. He led Longmeadow, Massachusetts, to 15 straight Western Massachusetts Super Bowls, winning 11 titles, before taking over the Marshwood program in 2012.

Rotsko’s Marshwood teams went to seven Class B championship games, losing in 2012 and then winning six state titles in seven seasons between 2014 and 202. He compiled an overall record of 107-37.

Rotsko said the primary reason he opted to retire is that Marshwood is again facing a shortage of players at the high school level. In 2025, the Hawks had 32 players, with about 25 dressed for the South semifinal at Westbrook. Marshwood lost that game to finish 6-4.

“The numbers don’t lie and they are low for a myriad of reasons,” Elwell said. “But the staff that’s on board is excited. We have an exceptional group of kids right now at the high school level.”

Elwell said part of his job is to find ways to make football more accessible to a greater number of students and to promote the positive aspects of the game.

“I’m hoping to be a small part and to help shepherd this program into the future. It’s in a vulnerable position right now,” Elwell said. “I will tell you I’m the correct person for the job and I look forward to the challenge.”

After graduating from college, Elwell began his coaching career as an assistant at Marshwood. He shifted to Noble for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, serving as the head coach in 2013. In 2014, he worked with the Sanford staff.

Elwell is a special education teacher and department head at Marshwood High.