Hall of Fame
The third commissioner in the history of the Little East Conference, Al Bean guided the conference through its largest sports sponsorship expansion between 1995 and 2000. Under his watchful eye, the Little East increased its sports sponsorship to 17 athletic programs with the addition of baseball (1997), field hockey (1998), men's and women's indoor track and field (1999), women's swimming and diving (2000), men's and women's outdoor track and field (1998), and volleyball (1995).
Prior to his appointment as commissioner, Bean served as the conference's first publicist under the leadership of Richard Costello. He has also helped shape the direction of the Little East Conference through his four-decade long relationship with the University of Southern Maine as a student-athlete, assistant coach, sports information director, assistant athletic director, and athletic director.