That has been Chet Gladchuk's motto since taking over as Naval Academy athletic director and he's worked hard to infuse that attitude into every varsity program in Annapolis.
Yesterday, Gladchuk hired a women's basketball coach who knows nothing but winning. Stefanie Pemper enjoyed unparalleled success during her 10-year tenure at Bowdoin College, becoming the fourth-winningest coach in NCAA Division III history with a remarkable record of 235-48 (.830).
"I felt it was important to bring in someone who understood winning. I am not interested in on-the-job training," Gladchuk said. "Stefanie is a proven winner. Her track record of success speaks for itself."
Gladchuk was unconcerned that Pemper's experience comes solely at the Division III level, which does not allow athletic scholarships. He felt confident that Pemper's skills and philosophy would transfer to the Division I ranks.
"The last time I checked, it was the same ball, the same court, the same backboard. Honestly, the level at which Stefanie coached was of no concern to me," Gladchuk said. "I've found that coaches who are winners can win at any level because they understand the commitment, dedication and work ethic it requires. Stefanie has all of those qualities and that will carry over."
Pemper becomes the sixth head coach in the history of Navy women's basketball, which became a varsity sport at the academy in 1977. She follows Dave Smalley (1977-1989), Jerry Hutchison (1989-1991), Debra Schlegal (1991-94), Joe Sanchez (1994-2003) and Tom Marryott (2003-2007).
Pemper takes over a program that has managed just one winning season over the past decade. The Midshipmen have finished no higher than fourth in the eight-team Patriot League since 1998-99.
"I think Navy is a great job with great resources. Chet is a supportive athletic director who provides his coaches all that is needed to be successful," Pemper said. "There is a lot to sell in terms of the quality of education and post-graduate opportunities. I certainly think we can recruit the type of athletes it takes to win."
Pemper led Bowdoin into the NCAA Tournament in nine of her 10 seasons, earning five Elite Eight appearances along the way. The Polar Bears played in the Division III national championship game in 2004.
A native of Huntington Beach, Calif., Pemper was a two-time All-Big Sky selection as a player at Idaho State. She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Alaska-Anchorage before serving as an assistant at Idaho State and Harvard.
Pemper found a home at Bowdoin, a small, liberal arts college located in the coastal New England town of Brunswick, Maine. The Polar Bears captured the New England Small College Athletic Association championship in seven of her 10 seasons and compiled the fourth-longest home winning streak (76 games) in Division III history.
"I wasn't actively looking to move on, but I was open to a new challenge. I was only willing to leave for a good job that was the right fit," said Pemper, who turned down a pair of previous Division I job offers. "Navy was the type of opportunity I was looking for and the timing just seemed right. We had a nice 10-year run at Bowdoin."
Pemper prefers to play an up-tempo type of game that puts pressure on the opponent both offensively and defensively. She intends to employ an inside-outside offensive system that creates high percentage shots and a multiple defensive system that mixes various zones and man-to-man coverages to keep teams off-balance.
Marryott was a knowledgeable basketball coach who connected well with the players. However, he would probably admit the Midshipmen simply did not have the talent to compete for the Patriot League championship in recent seasons. Pemper is well aware that Navy needs to recruit at a higher level in order to elevate in the conference.
"Obviously, we need to figure out how to crack that nut. I certainly think it can be done," she said. "If I had a fundamental concern with that (recruiting), I would have taken the job."
Pemper is encouraged by the fact other women's varsity programs, notably soccer, swimming and lacrosse, have experienced success at the academy. She has spoken extensively with women's soccer head coach Carin Gabarra, who built a nationally-ranked program from scratch.
"Army has been successful in women's basketball so why not Navy? Army is a similar institution in the same conference," Pemper said.
Pemper is due to meet with the returning players tomorrow and said she will hit the ground running shortly thereafter.
"I am the type of coach who puts more pressure on myself than anyone else could. I am very determined, very motivated to build a winning program at the Naval Academy," she said.
