Coach Nancy Winstel is in her 24th year of coaching women’s basketball at Northern Kentucky University. She recorded her 500th win as the Norse coach Nov. 21. Ironically, it came against Midway College, the school Winstel began her coaching career. She is this week’s guest in the Hot Seat.

Tim: This is your 24th year of coaching NKU women’s basketball. Did you ever imagine you’d be coaching this long at one school or reach 500 wins? Winstel: No. I don’t think you really think about these things. I usually just think one day at a time.

Tim: What was your long term goal when you first started coaching? Winstel: To win!

Tim: In all your years coaching, what player has had the most ability and used it to the best of her ability? Winstel: No, I really can’t say. They are all special. It would not be fair to name just one. There are a lot of special players.

Tim: What victory has been the most rewarding? Winstel: The National Championship game for Division II back in 2000. We won in overtime 72-63 over North Dakota State.

Tim: What loss has been the toughest to deal with? Winstel: They are all tough to deal with, but the toughest is always the last loss.

Tim: What is the hardest thing to teach to your players? Winstel: There is not just one hard thing. It depends on what day it is, but if I had to name one thing then I would have to say the intensity. You have to bring it everyday. Some kids have it and others don’t.

Tim: What is the easiest thing to teach? Winstel: I don’t say some days the game is easy. There is nothing easy. ‘Easy’ is not a word we use in coaching.

Tim: On road trips what is your favorite movie to watch? Winstel: I watch whatever they watch. There are 45 people on the bus and I get one vote. No scary movies though. As long as they are happy, I am happy.

Tim: What coach or person is your mentor? Winstel: The coach would have to be Marilyn Scroggins Moore, my coach at NKU when I was playing. But my hero would be my mother. No doubt!

Tim: Of all of the past presidents of the United States, who would you have liked to have met? Winstel: JFK.

Tim: How many more years would you like to coach? Winstel: I would like to coach 100 more years. Realistically, I will coach until I don’t like coaching anymore.

Tim: When you retire from coaching what do you want to be remembered for? Winstel: Hopefully I will leave the program as good or better than when I came in. I tell our players, if they gave it all they had and feel good about it no more or no less then this is great.

Tim: Who would win in a free throw contest between you and Coach Bezold? Winstel: Definitely him! He was a shooter. I am the all time worst foul shooter in NKU history. You could take anyone off the street and they would beat me.