Win No. 5, Not 500, Matters Now for Kammerer

As college basketball coaches go, Chet Kammerer of Westmont in Santa Barbara is in pretty select company.

Going into this season, he ranked 18th among active men’s coaches with 500 victories. He has added to that total by going 4-3 early in the season and his record now is 504-238.

It is even more impressive that he reached the 500-victory plateau in 25 seasons, which means an average of 20 wins a season.

In 15 seasons at Westmont, he has guided the Warriors to four District 3 titles in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics and his team has always ranked among the favorites.

But Kammerer, 48, has never been the kind of coach to get caught up in past success. He is squarely focused on the present.

“When you’re in this business, you can’t afford to look back at your accomplishments and rest on them,” Kammerer said. “You’re constantly looking ahead. Right now, I’m more concerned that we’re (4-3). I’m not really thinking about my 500 wins too much.”

Not that the coach hasn’t learned a few lessons from his success.

One constant has been that Kammerer has always set lofty goals for his teams.

“I think one of the goals I’ve always had is to try to win 20 games a year,” he said. “So it’s been very gratifying that I’ve been able to accomplish that.”

He has also tried to surround himself with the right players.

“I’ve been in this for 25 years and, believe me, coaching doesn’t get the job done in itself,” he said. “You can be the greatest coach, but you still have to have the players to get the job done.”

Once he has brought the players into the program, Kammerer has worked hard at molding them into a cohesive unit.

“I’m a guy who likes to blend people together,” Kammerer says. “I’m a firm believer that that’s what wins basketball games. Blending a team into a family-like setting is a very important part of having success.”

It doesn’t hurt to have the same enthusiasm for the game that he did when he became a head coach as a 23-year-old at Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. He coached at Grace, his alma mater, for 10 seasons before settling at Westmont.

“In a small college, you have to wear a number of hats,” he said. “So I also teach and I’m also the athletic director. But what I really like is coaching. I guess you could say that’s my passion.”

Kammerer says he wouldn’t trade his coaching career for any other profession.

“I really enjoy it or I wouldn’t be involved with it for 25 years,” he said. “There are highs and lows, but I guess that’s true with any career you could have. But looking back at it all, it’s something I would definitely do again.”

Kammerer said his coaching career has left him with a lifetime of memories. One of the most memorable occurred at the start of the season in November when he returned to Grace for the Optimist Tip-Off Tournament.

Westmont won its first game in the tournament, beating Anderson of Indiana, 86-83, for Kammerer’s 501st victory.

“That was a trip back down memory lane for me,” Kammerer said. “Having started my career there, just being there for No. 501 was special enough. But to make it more special, I have a son who is playing for me and that was something, to have him there for it, as well.”

Kammerer’s son, Chad, is a senior point guard who has started the past four seasons and the coach said it has been a positive experience for both of them.

“I think it’s added some pressure for both coach and son, but we have a good relationship and I think it’s worked out well for both of us,” the coach said. “I think it would be really hard if I was in my first five or 10 years of coaching. But because of my experience, I’ve been able to handle it well. I think that has made these times even more special these last few years.”

Although the opportunity to coach his son has been special, Kammerer is hoping he still has a few highlights coming.

“I don’t really give (retirement) much thought right now and I guess that’s because I’m only 48,” Kammerer said. “I was fortunate to get a head coaching job when I was only 23. I think as long as I still have a joy for the game and I’m still making an impact, I’ll continue to do that.”

There is little doubt he is still making an impact. With the return of all-district guard Peter Partain, who was recuperating from a knee operation, Westmont scored a 67-61 victory over Grand Canyon--ranked 14th in the NAIA--last week.

So for the moment Kammerer is content to focus his thoughts on this season.

“It’s not that I’m not appreciative of what has happened to me, but we’re out to be the best we can this year and at the moment that’s what is most important to me,” he says.

College Division Notes

Naomi Ruderman, women’s volleyball coach at Cal State San Bernardino since the program’s inception in 1984, has resigned to focus on her position as chairman of the physical education department at San Bernardino Cajon High. Ruderman, who has a 148-104 record, guided the Coyotes into the NCAA Division III playoffs the last five seasons and had a 35-8 mark in 1987. . . . Bill Swartz, who guided Pomona-Pitzer to a share of its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference soccer title since 1980, has been named NCAA Division III Far West Region coach of the year. The Sagehens (11-5-1) tied with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the SCIAC at 8-1.

John Anthony, sports information director at Biola the past four years, has been named to a similar position at Cal Lutheran. He replaces Greg Seiler, who resigned to accept a similar position at Mars Hill in North Carolina. . . . Dave Yanai of Cal State Dominguez Hills became the 51st active NCAA basketball coach to reach the 200-victory plateau with his team’s 49-46 victory over Northern Colorado last week. In his 14th season, Yanai has a 200-158 record.

Bob Burt, who coached Cal State Northridge to a share of the Western Football Conference title and its first berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs, has been selected Kodak Region 5 College Division I coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Assn. . . . Redlands football Coach Mike Maynard, who guided the Bulldogs to an 8-2 record and their first berth in the Division III playoffs, has been named Kodak Region 5 College Division II coach of the year.

The Redlands men’s basketball team set an NCAA Division III record with 21 three-point baskets in its 130-101 win over Pacific Christian last week. Junior guard Jeff Sofro also broke school records with 44 points and 10 three-point baskets in the game.