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It took about five years for the Harvard Fencing Program, under coach Peter Brand, to gain momentum.
But Brand told Boston Globe magazine in 2006 that he had a plan: to attract top talent to Harvard with the promise of a prestigious degree. "The coaches here have not spent a lot of time recruiting," he said in an interview after the star of the program began to rise.
The Globe then reported that Brand had chosen his team not only because of his skills, but also because of his personalities and the way they mingled with the team. "It is extremely difficult to recruit people who are academically viable and who are also excellent fencers," Brand said. "But the most important thing is the character. It is essential that they form excellent staff. "
Now, questions have been raised about Brand's staff decisions following Globe's announcement that the father of a student who had been accepted to Harvard and joined the fencing team had bought Brand Needham from his home at an unusually high price. The story has raised troubling questions at a time when the scandal of college admissions nationwide has touched other major universities.
But one thing is clear: the brand has a reputation for success in the sport that some call physical failures.
He chaired "the most successful era" in the history of the Harvard team, which has been going on for 118 years, according to the Athletics Department 's Web site. university.
He arrived at Harvard before the 1999-2000 season and barely five years later, the trophies began to appear, announced the university.
By the end of the 2017-2018 season, he had set a total of 212-88, 55-37 in the Ivy League, for the men's team; and an overall record of 258-75-1, 69-41 in the former 8 for the women's team, according to the website.
During this period, Brand led Harvard to his first NCAA team championship, four combined titles from the Intercollegiate Fencing Association, three Fencing Association titles, two IFA championship titles of six weapons, and a total of nine titles of the Ivy League, four by women and five by men. while coaching 67 All-Americans, said the university.
One of her shooters, Emily Cross, won the women's team foil silver medal at the 2008 Olympics, the university said.
At the end of the 2018-2019 season, the men's team had 16-3, 5-1 in the Ivy League, and the women's team, 16-6 and 3-3 in the Ivy League. The men's and women's teams placed fourth at the NCAA championships.
Prior to Harvard, Brand was the head coach of men and women at Brown University for six years. Previously, he was an assistant coach for men and women at MIT for 10 seasons.
"It's one of the highlights of my life," Brand said in a statement in 1999 when he was named Harvard coach.
Brand had himself won the competition as a competitor, qualifying for the US Junior Fencing Team in 1972 and winning a seventh place finish at the 1975 Canadian Nationals and a fourth place finish at the 1985 US Championships.
Originally from Israel, son of a survivor from Auschwitz and a Czech doctor, Brand immigrated to the United States at the age of 13.
He spent his time on a kibbutz to teach him the importance of team work. "The challenge is to bring people together and convince them that the only way to win is to form a team," he told Harvard magazine in 2006.
In 2005, Brand told Harvard Crimson student newspaper that his secret of success was to love what he was doing.
"I think the key here is my love of the sport and my enthusiasm," Brand said. "I think it's contagious and it helps athletes. Know that your coach is not only concerned with the sport, but you, as a person, contribute to their performance. "
You can contact Martin Finucane at [email protected].
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