WBB: NESCAC

[sumfun]

Any news from any of the other NESCAC schools about who is "coming" next year now that they have to commit by tomorrow?

[Pat Coleman]

?

[speedy]

Big news on the Bowdoin front: Stephanie Pemper has resigned as Bowdoin's head coach of women's basketball to  become the head coach at the US Naval Academy . .

[Pat Coleman]

Yep. This morning's lead story on D3hoops.com, for obvious reasons.

[walzy31]

Big news on the Bowdoin front: Stephanie Pemper has resigned as Bowdoin's head coach of women's basketball to  become the head coach at the US Naval Academy . .

Coach Pemper must have seen the writing on the wall that the power in the NESCAC has shifted from Lewiston to Amherst (0-3 against Amherst this year after a win-streak of seemingly 39 games). Had to "jump ship" to Navy while she could.

[airball1]

Had a chance to meet Coach Pemper last winter when she came to Atlanta. Navy could not have made a better choice.

[Ralph Turner]

Big news on the Bowdoin front: Stephanie Pemper has resigned as Bowdoin's head coach of women's basketball to  become the head coach at the US Naval Academy . .

Coach Pemper must have seen the writing on the wall that the power in the NESCAC has shifted from Lewiston to Amherst (0-3 against Amherst this year after a win-streak of seemingly 39 games). Had to "jump ship" to Navy while she could.

I have another thought about her moving to Navy.

I don't think that she "jumped ship".  How many other jobs in the country have similar student-athletes to what she coached at Bowdoin?  In D-I, are there 30 such jobs?  How often do those jobs open?  How many jobs at this time in her life and career are available to her in this five-year window?  Was there any place else for her to go if she needed to "jump-start" her career?  Did she think that she had become stale?  (I am not trying to impugn her integrity.)  This job may be the one that allows her to save for retirement.  The moving to D-I is hard and has not always been successful.

We D-III fans are sad to see her leave, but we are glad to have an advocate in such a high profile job.

Best wishes!

[gordonmann]

I don't think Pemper is worried about power shifting from Lewiston to Amherst since Bowdoin is in Brunswick.  Bates is in Lewiston.

Coach Pemper built Bowdoin into a regional powerhouse and a national title contender during her time there.  And I don't doubt that Bowdoin would've been a contender for the conference title again next year and the future under her. Look how striking the Polar Bears' record is compared to the pre-Pemper era.

http://www.bowdoin.edu/athletics/records/dissemination/wbbhistory.pdf

I don't know why she's decided to coach at Navy, but she's certainly earned the opportunity to do it.  Best wishes to her.

[walzy31]

Gordon,

That's a good point about Lewiston. How soon I forget where those Maine NESCAC schools are...

I think you and Ralph took me a little too seriously. I'm sure the Pempster will do well at Navy.

GP Rules

-Walzy

[nescac hoops]

I may be alone on this one, but I am not completely sold on the idea that Pemper will be a great fit for Navy. At the very least, she is going to bring a new "vibe" to the Naval Academy. From what I've seen and read about Pemper/Bowdoin (a couple games and an article from the NY Times a couple years back), Pemper appears VERY laid back both in terms of personality and coaching style -- doesn't use timeouts, arranges "scavenger hunts" in NYC during a holiday tourny, bringing in the school president for a practical joke during practice, often doesn't talk to her teams at halftime, often laughing during the game with assistants, etc.  Don't get me wrong, I think she is a great coach and her "non chalant" approach has clearly worked for her up at Bowdoin and I know there are times when she probably rips into her team and players and its not all "warm and fuzzy". From what I can see/read, she recruits talented kids who will buy into her system and "take responsibility for their team" - certainly those are attributes that would fit a Navy student but the other more "non chalant"/joking qualities of her coaching may not go over as well on the D1 level, especially a school like the Naval Academy. I could really see this gig going either way for her.

[mamadukes]

Best of luck to Coach Pemper. It was UMW's pleasure to meet the Bowdoin ladies on more than one occasion and she seemed to be a very nice lady and one hell of a coach. Navy has scored a big one!! She will enjoy the Maryland weather

[saratoga]

Now that Coach Pemper has decided to move on...isn't it about time for that seemingly yearly announcement that Coach G.P. Gromacki has decided to leave his current school for the challenge of another? Perhaps this time for the fresh air of Brunswick? In all seriousness, all the best to Coach Pemper...she was a very large factor in putting Bowdoin on the womens basketball map.

[bbald eagle]

A real loss for Bowdoin. Best of luck to Coach Pemper, and to Bowdoin.

[sumfun]

She may have a laisez-faire way with her team, but I like how she handled the girls, and they resonded.    When I asked about new recruits and mentioned commitment, I meant that on May 1st students have to tell the colleges where they are going.  I'm sure there were a few on the fence that DIII, NESCAC schools were waiting to hear from as to their final choice.  So again, I ask, have anyone heard anything else about kids that are joining NESCAC teams.

[Pat Coleman]

May 1 is not a nationwide date. Is it the date for all NESCAC schools or something?