PORT ANGELES — A strong recruiter who emphasizes defense and up-tempo play was named the new head men’s basketball coach at Peninsula College on Wednesday.
Lance Von Vogt, 36, has been an assistant coach at Arizona Western College in Yuma, Ariz., the past four years and has a three-year stint as head coach at Oxford College of Emory University in Oxford, Ga., where he was selected the 2004-05 region coach of the year.
Von Vogt takes over from Peter Stewart, who had eight successful years at Peninsula before landing a head coaching job at Minot State University in his home state of North Dakota.
“We have enjoyed a very successful tradition in men’s basketball and we’re looking forward to coach Von Vogt continuing that tradition,” Peninsula Director of Athletics Rick Ross said.
“Coach Von Vogt has the experience and the passion to step right in and do the job. He also seems a great fit for the college and for this community.”
Von Vogt has been the head of recruiting at Arizona Western for four years. The community college is the two-time defending Region I champion and has had five All-Americans in those four years.
“Recruiting is very important to the success of a program,” Von Vogt said in a phone interview Wednesday night.
“You have to bring in good players who are good people. They need to set an example on and off the court.”
The Matadors’ current roster is represented by two countries and five states, including freshman Jordan Smith of Lopez Island.
Arizona Western also has two Brazilians on the team.
“We have a couple of connections to a national development team in Brazil,” Von Vogt said.
“It is something we have used in the past. They would send us film of players who wanted to come to this country.”
Von Vogt will visit Port Angeles a couple of times in the next couple of months but he will be spending most of that time on the recruiting trail.
He, his wife, Char, and their two children will move to the North Olympic Peninsula sometime in August.
Up-tempo action
Area college basketball fans will be treated to exciting play when the Pirates hit the floor, Von Vogt said.
“Basketball is a game that is meant to be played in a fun environment,” he said.
“We will be playing up-tempo basketball. A disciplined brand of up-tempo.”
The Pirates will take the ball quickly down the court and try to score but if an opportunity isn’t there, they will fall back and try any number of set plays, the coach said.
“It will be exciting for the fans,” Von Vogt said.
And the Pirates will be defensive.
“Defense is the one thing you can control,” Von Vogt said.
“You can control your effort on defense in every game.
“Defense will be the cornerstone of our program.”
The Pirates will show a number of presses as well as man-to-man and zone defenses.
“We will have good on-the-ball defense and be sure not to foul the shooters to keep them from the foul line,” Von Vogt said.
The coach played college basketball at St. John’s River Community College in Palatka, Fla., and earned a Bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of South Florida in 1998.
He also earned a Master’s degree in sports administration from Georgia State, where he coached under legendary coach Lefty Driesell in 2000 to 2002.
In addition to his coaching duties, Von Vogt will serve as the Peninsula College athletic development coordinator, where his primary duty will be to raise funds for athletic scholarships.
Char Von Vogt will be leaving her job as Arizona Western director of resident life and student activities.
At first his wife will stay at home more in Port Angeles to raise their children.
“We will downsize our life a little bit,” Von Vogt said.
But Char Von Vogt has some plans for the future that may include teaching at Peninsula College in the field of sociology and psychology, Von Vogt said.