HERMON – David Pepin, who has guided the Searsport High baseball team to the Eastern Maine Class C championship game each of the last two seasons, will try to bring that success to the hardwood this winter as the new boys varsity basketball coach at Hermon High School.

Pepin, 41, replaces Alan Tweedie, whose contract was not renewed after he guided the Hawks for the last four seasons, including a trip to the Eastern B final in 2004. Hermon finished 5-13 last winter.

“Being a big basketball junkie, and following their team the last few years, I remember when they went to the tournament and how the fans filled their side of the [Bangor] Auditorium two-thirds full, and I thought this is where I want to be,” Pepin said.

Pepin was the unanimous choice of a six-person Hermon selection committee, whose recommendation was approved this month by the local school board.

“David has a philosophy and style that we all liked,” said Hermon athletic director Paul Soucy. “He’s strong in fundamentals and has a very strong defensive philosophy.”

The Newport resident and 1982 Nokomis Regional High graduate brings considerable basketball experience to his new post. He served on the Eastern Maine Board of Approved Basketball Officials for six years and was the girls varsity coach at Searsport for two years, guiding the Vikings to the Eastern C preliminary round during the 2002-03 season.

Last winter, Pepin was an assistant girls varsity basketball coach at John Bapst of Bangor, helping coach Mike Webb’s Crusaders earn an Eastern A preliminary-round berth.

Pepin has a 30-6 record in two seasons as the Searsport baseball coach and was named Penobscot Valley Conference Class C coach of the year in 2005. He plans to continue coaching baseball at Searsport next spring.

Now self-employed in real estate as co-owner of P&G Investments in Newport, Pepin also has coaching and administrative experience at the youth level as recreation director of the Sebasticook Valley Community Center in Newport from 1993 to 2002.

Pepin brings a basketball philosophy to the Hermon program that stresses defense.

“Everything really starts at the defensive end,” he said. “I’m a huge believer in defense. If you don’t play good defense, you can’t win.”