With the Navy men's basketball team off to a strong start, the Navy Letterwinners Association sat down to interview Jon Perry in his first year as head coach. After being ranked #1 in the Patriot League's preseason poll, Coach Perry talks about the culture and leadership that defines Navy men's basketball.

Letterwinners: How has your first season as head coach progressed?

Coach Perry: I think the non-conference games were solid. I was happy and pleased with our growth overall as a team. As for the preseason poll, it's nice to be recognized but we want to be talked about in the postseason. How do we do that? We just have to continue to show up every day, work hard, do our jobs, put the team first, and try to be playing our best basketball come March. The staff has done a great job. Having preexisting relationships with the team has made the transition for me seamless, and it's not just within the team itself or in the locker room, but the preexisting relationships on campus, whether it be academically or militarily. Everyone has been so supportive and people feel like it's their team. There has been a collective push behind this program right now.

Letterwinners: You've been at Navy for 13 years. Now that you are the head coach, what changes have you made to the program?

Coach Perry: I didn't try to ruffle feathers and be somebody I wasn't, and try to do things that I couldn't. We've been building this thing consistently over many years. These seniors and juniors know what to do. I try to look down range more than the day-to-day operations. I am focused on the needs of the athletes, whether that is nutrition, rest, or academics. I believe we're doing the things that give us the best chance to play our best basketball and win games. 

Letterwinners: Austin Benigni is picking up where he left off from last year. How has his leadership on the court helped the team?

Coach Perry: Austin is tremendous. He leads by example and has an unbelievable work ethic. He is determined to take this program to someplace it hasn't been in 28 years. He does that every day through his actions, not his words. I think that resonates through the team. It gives his teammates confidence. He's just a good person and that's what we want here at the Naval Academy…good people with high character. 

Letterwinners: Your senior class seems to be leading from the front lines, what does captain Mike Woods and the rest of the firsties mean to the success of the team?

Coach Perry: Mike has been great. I've always said that captains act like captains before they're captains. And from the time Mike joined our program, he's just done things a little bit differently. He's a self starter and has a lot of initiative. He's always thinking about others and considering others before himself. With his maturity and leadership, he's been the right guy for the job. Aidan Kehoe, Cam Cormany, Sam Krist, Donovan Draper are all wonderful, high character guys. They show up every day ready to work hard, do their jobs, and put the team first. They are fantastic ambassadors for the program, whether it's out in the community or on the Yard. They're holding leadership positions in the military, within their companies, and they're invested in this place. When you've got freshmen and sophomores watching our leaders act like professionals, it resonates. It sets a standard and the 1/C upholds that standard. We have a saying, "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept." Those seniors don't walk past too many things that aren't up to our standards. 

Letterwinners: How do you define the culture of Navy Men's Basketball? Do you have any team mantras?

Coach Perry: So, our priorities are Team, Teammate, then Self. Every action, every choice that we make affects the team and affects our teammates. It's not about you. You are serving something greater than yourself here at the Naval Academy. We train, we compete, and we sacrifice together as a team. When it boils down to it, we are a family. We love each other, we're loyal to each other, and we trust each other. 

Letterwinners: What advantages come with recruiting for Navy? What's your recruiting pitch?

Coach Perry: Well, I think it's the best institution in the country. It will set a young guy up for the next 40 years of his life. The professional success can be generational for him and his family. We're trying to find future officers, whether it's in the Navy or the Marine Corps. The ultimate goal is to develop them over four years to have that amazing opportunity.

Letterwinners: You played for Ed DeChellis at East Tennessee State and then was on his coaching staff there, then at Penn State, and then here at Navy. What were the most significant lessons you learned from Coach DeChellis?

Coach Perry: Work hard, do your job, put the team first. He loved the people that he led and we saw the impact he had on so many lives. Ultimately, he wanted me to reach my potential and try to push me to do that every day. That's what I'm trying to do for these guys. Staff included, I want everybody in this program to reach their full potential. I've got to encourage them and I've got to inspire them. Sometimes, I've got to challenge them. It's all about them becoming who they're supposed to become, and reach their full potential.

Letterwinners: What do you want your alumni to know about the current program?

Coach Perry: It's their program. The players are working hard and take a lot of pride for the name on the front of their jersey. They know what it means to graduate from this place. We're going to compete every night, whether it's on the road or at home. We're trying to play for all the alumni that came before us.