Jamie Pewinski was promoted to head coach of the Lake Superior State women's basketball team in March, 2006, after spending seven seasons as an LSSU assistant coach. She was named associate head coach in 2005 and took over the program when eight-year coach Kris Dunbar was promoted to director of athletics.
Pewinski has been a key figure in the Lakers' winningest era in women's basketball. LSSU enjoyed a 142-57 (.714) record during her stint as an assistant coach. During that span, the Lakers made five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, won four Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division titles and claimed two GLIAC Tournament championships.
During Pewinski's first season as head coach, the Lakers were picked by league coaches to finish fourth in the extremely tough GLIAC North Division, and they tied for second with Ferris State. The squad included All-GLIAC First Team and All-Region First Team forward Mandi Johnson, and All-GLIAC Second Team guard Monica Rehmann. Five players earned GLIAC All-Academic honors, and the Lakers were touted as the nation's top Division II team on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Honor Roll. They finished with a team grade point average of 3.588.
In 2007-08, the Lakers finished 12-14 overall, but ended the season with wins in six of their last nine games. Pewinski returns three of her top four scorers and two of her top three rebounders from that squad.
The Lakers' best NCAA finish since Pewinski has been a member of the LSSU coaching staff was in 2003-04 when they reached the Sweet Sixteen before falling to Quincy in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional finals. In 2002-03, LSSU posted the nation's highest field-goal shooting percentage and had the country's second-best scoring average of 84.6 points per game. That season, the Lakers were led by All-American Alice Duesing, who went on to earn the Today's Top VIII Award, which is the highest honor an NCAA student-athlete can achieve. In 2005-06, all-region senior Becky Marquardt-King led the GLIAC in scoring and led the nation in field-goal percentage at .711.
Pewinski is a former Oakland University and Saginaw Valley State University player familiar with the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. At SVSU, Pewinski set the record for single-season three-point field goal percentage at 43.6 (48-110). SVSU was 20-7 during her senior season.
Pewinski graduated from Saginaw Valley in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business management after playing for three seasons at Oakland. The Pioneers were 90-27 during her tenure at OU.
The Rochester, Mich., native earned her master's of business
administration from LSSU in 2002.
Former Lewis graduate assistant Shannon Eggers was named LSSU assistant basketball coach in August, 2008.
Eggers, a 2006 graduate of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, has a degree in radio, television and film, and held marketing and television internships with ESPN and the Minnesota Timberwolves before embarking on a coaching career. She served as a graduate assistant coach at Lewis during the 2007-08 season.
Eggers played two seasons at Nebraska-Omaha before finishing her basketball career at UW-Oshkosh. The 5-11 guard from Council Bluffs, Iowa, earned All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors in 2005 and ‘06. She averaged 14.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior in 2005-06.
"I'm excited to add Shannon to our coaching staff," said LSSU
third-year head coach Jamie Pewinski. "She was successful as a
player and has a deep passion for the game of
basketball. Having spent a year at Lewis, she has a great
understanding of our conference and the GLVC, which will be very
beneficial as we go through the season."
Brian Stanaway joined the LSSU coaching staff after 25 years coaching basketball and track at Sault Area High School and Sault Area Middle School. He is in his sixth season with the Lakers.
Stanaway emphasizes defense in his basketball coaching philosophy. He has coached at all levels in the Sault High girls and boys basketball programs. His last stint was as an assistant coach with the girls varsity team. In 1998 the Blue Devils had an undefeated regular season and reached the Class B state semifinals. Three players from that team went on the play for the Lakers, including senior Becky Marquardt-King. Former Laker Alice Duesing, who became LSSU's all-time leading scorer during the 2002-03 season, also played for Stanaway in the Sault youth program.
Stanaway played basketball at Lake Superior State when it was Soo Tech, a branch of Michigan Tech. He also attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College. He is active with the Sault High Blue Devil Booster Club, serves as president of the Sault Pride Club and is a member of the LSSU Cager Club.
Stanaway is self-employed. He and his wife, Mary, reside in Barbeau. They have two children, Paul and Anne.
