It seems that everywhere head fencing coach Peter Brand travels, success follows. Championship titles, all-American finalists, NCAA qualifiers, and even Coach of the Year honors always accompany his name. Before coming to Harvard, the native Israeli led Brown to two women’s and one men’s championship titles, and he received the 1994-95 Northeast Collegiate Fencing Conference’s Coach of the Year award.

How then, one wonders, does a coach continually enter programs and develop them into nationally recognized teams?

It’s simple—he has a plan.

This year at the NCAA tournament, Brand was the first recipient of the Schreff Sword, given to the USFCA Outstanding Coach of the Year, an honor awarded based on the votes of the coaches in attendance at the NCAA tournament.

Harvard’s recent success has undoubtedly been attributed to the presence of Brand. A love for the sport and committed relationships with his athletes combine to create a positive training atmosphere for his fencers.

In the six years Brand has reined as Harvard’s head coach, the program has witnessed one national champion, two all-Americans, both men’s and women’s Ivy and IFA victories, and a sixth-place effort at the NCAA tournament, the highest finish in Crimson history.

Brand’s passion for the sport and his “five-year plan” proved to be a successful combination.

When he entered the program at the start of the 1999 season, he immediately focused on recruiting top fencers from around the nation. Prior to Brand’s arrival, Harvard’s recruiting had been neither highly emphasized nor carried through.

Yet Brand notes that recruiting was an important part of the plan and, in effect, has played a central role in the development of the program.

“I had a five-year plan which included, primarily, trying to do some recruiting, which was not a big priority here in the past,” Brand said. “I went out and looked for some great student athletes.”

David Jakus, a junior on the team, also notes the importance of recruiting in the past few years and its impact on the program.

“The only way you can be good in college fencing is by recruiting,” Jakus said. “He recognized that right away and does a good job recruiting.”

Brand pointed out other important benchmarks in his five-year plan, including winning the Ivy League title and the IFA title—both accomplished by the men’s and women’s squads this year—and attending the NCAA tournament.

In addition, he mentions the importance of bringing in strong assistant coaches that, like him, will work closely with the athletes to form a constructive atmosphere. He also credits the university, as well as the athletic department, as being very influential in his ability to shape and lead such a successful team.

More importantly though, he notes that the secret to his success is that he absolutely loves what he does.