The face in the Bedford High School athletics office will be different, but the philosophy remains largely intact.

After three years as the BHS athletics director, Thor Nilsen takes over the same title at RSU 21 in Maine, beginning in July.

Bill Whitmore takes over as AD in Bedford, and school officials said one of the main reasons for the choice was the similarities Whitmore shares with his predecessor.

“Bill and Thor have some very consistent philosophical underpinnings,” said Superintendent of Schools Tim Mayes. “Sportsmanship and how you conduct yourself were the main priorities for Thor, and Bill will continue that.”

Nilsen, whose new job brings him closer to his Maine home, was part of the development of the high school from the beginning, serving on the school’s planning team.

Throughout the process of bringing varsity sports to Bedford, Nilsen said he faced numerous challenges.

“Everything from putting together the program to picking out colors of tiles and picking the design of the gym floor, there were so many things that needed to be done,” said Nilsen. “It’s time consuming and demanding, but rewarding.”

Whitmore’s most recent job was at Milton Academy in Massachusetts, but he has Granite State ties as well after a successful stint at Concord High School earlier in his career.

Mayes said he believes the time Whitmore accrued in Concord will aid him in Bedford, which has a full student body for the first time beginning this fall.

“He has had the experience of working with fairly large schools,” said Mayes. “As we grow, he’ll have that experience that he’ll need to deal with a lot of sports and a lot of participation.”

Though many of the young Bulldog teams struggled out of the gates in their first two years, several have earned postseason berths since the school opened its doors.

“I knew they would be competitive,” said Nilsen. “These kids have a strong youth program and have been involved in sports from a very young age. The biggest problem was size and strength, and now they are starting to get that.”

Nilsen worked closely with the BHS coaching staffs and was often in the stands at both home and road contests during the different seasons.

George Edwards, the school’s principal, said Nilsen’s emphasis on patience was paramount to the school’s athletic development.

“Thor was able to instill in our coaches and school community that this was going to be a building process, and we shouldn’t expect freshmen and sophomores to compete like juniors and seniors in their very first year,” said Edwards. “That’s given our studentathletes the opportunities to evolve and develop.”

While Nilsen’s focus rests squarely on the Maine high school athletics landscape, he said he’ll also keep an eye on the teams he became so familiar with the last three years.

“I am certainly going to be watching them from afar,” said Nilsen. “They may not be able to hear me, but I’ll be cheering for them.”