Navy Basketball Coach Meets First Challenge

When Pete Herrmann was named to replace Paul Evans as Navy’s basketball coach last April, he faced two challenges. The first: this season, don’t mess up a team that went 30-5 in 1985-86, reached the final eight and returned the best player in the country, 7-foot-1 senior David Robinson. The second: next season, win without Robinson.

The first goal wasn’t quite as easy as it seemed. Although Robinson has improved and point guard Doug Wojcik is solid, graduated starters Kylor Whitaker and Vernon Butler were very important to the team that won three NCAA tournament games before losing in the East regional final to Duke.

Navy is 26-5 after winning its third straight Colonial Athletic Association title and will play in its third straight NCAA tournament, opening Thursday against Michigan (19-11) in Charlotte, N.C. Clearly, Herrmann has done the job so far.

Unlike past seasons for Navy, this one began in the spotlight. In Herrmann’s first game as head coach, the Midshipmen played North Carolina State in the Tipoff Classic on national television, losing by two points.

“I was much, much more apprehensive before the N.C. State game than I am now,” Herrmann said Tuesday. “Following a very good coach, you want to show you can coach on this level and continue to improve the program. But after 31 games, and winning the vast majority of them, I feel confident that we can go against anybody. And I think the team is more comfortable.”

Certainly, Navy’s players are comfortable with their coach. “He’s been himself all the way through,” Wojcik said. “He’s a hyper kind of guy who is very committed to what he’s doing.

“I think he’s handled it all very well. As an assistant, he was kind of a pessimistic guy and got on everybody, but this year he’s been real encouraging. And in game-type situations, look at the games we’ve won at the buzzer.”

Herrmann may have been trying too hard early in the season.

“At first, he tried to play the head coach role too quickly,” said sophomore forward Craig Prather. “I think it affected David and Doug. He coached too much and didn’t give the seniors as much freedom. I think he realized that and has given them a lot more freedom to control the team. I think he’s done an awesome job.”

Said forward Derric Turner: “He’s still learning, but he’s getting more confidence in himself as we are as players.”

Herrmann, for six seasons an assistant to Evans, hasn’t made major changes. Navy may play a bit more man-to-man defense, but it still relies on a 2-3 zone. If Herrmann didn’t immediately delegate authority to players, it might be partly attributable to his observing Evans.

“During a timeout,” senior Carey Manhertz said, “Coach Evans would say, ‘I don’t want you to shoot, and I don’t want you to shoot. I want you to pass the ball to Dave. I want you to do this or that.’ Now, Coach Herrmann will say, ‘I want these three plays run.’ But he has confidence in Doug to run three at the right time.”

“The coach has to have discipline and control,” Herrmann said, “but the players have to relax to perform well. They have to know what’s in my mind as far as the game plan and then execute.”

After playing junior varsity as a freshman, Wojcik has started 98 straight games at point guard, and Navy is 82-16. “Because he’s playing, he’s got to recognize what’s happening,” Herrmann said. “Thursday will be a big game, a packed house and he’s got to do the thinking on the floor. I’ve said David, ‘Where are you most comfortable? High or low?’ And he’ll tell me and we’ll run stuff at that position.”

Wojcik has said he would like to be a coach someday, so he enjoys the responsibility.

“He asks for my input all the time,” Wojcik said. “He makes the decisions but, being out there, I can see things. He takes what I say and what he sees and makes decisions from that. He has given confidence to the seniors and put the show in our hands.”

Herrmann doesn’t look 38 years old. The youthful face and the same last name (spelled differently) have his players calling him Pee Wee, though they choose their spots carefully. Their shoot-around the morning before the CAA tournament opener was one such spot.

In a plot reportedly hatched by Cliff Rees and Neal Fenton, across the back of freshman Byron Hopkins’ jersey was the message, “We love Pee Wee” in adhesive tape.