Nov. 3, 2003

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy women's basketball head coach Tom Marryott rounded out his coaching staff with the naming of Matt Dempsey and Hassan Booker as assistant coaches, it was announced recently by Marryott. The duo join second-year assistants Andrea Williams and Katie Scott and first-year head coach Marryott.

"We are very fortunate to have the additions of Matt Dempsey and Hassan Booker to our staff," said Marryott. "Matt is a proven winner as a coach and Hassan is a proven winner as a Naval Academy basketball player. They bring a great mix of experience and passion and their winning attitudes are infectious."

Dempsey, who was a college teammate of Marryott's at Castleton State, has served as the head coach of the men's basketball team at Green Mountain College (Poultney, Vt.) for the past 13 seasons. The winningest coach in the program's history, Dempsey led the Eagles to a 216-157 record in 13 seasons. His teams totaled five Mayflower Conference titles and he garnered five conference coach-of-the-year honors. Green Mountain advanced to the NAIA national tournament four times under Dempsey, most recently during the 1999-2000 season.

In addition to serving as head coach of the men's team, Dempsey complied a 38-34 record in three seasons as the head coach for the women's team from 1987-89. He also was the school's softball coach for 11 seasons, winning a pair of conference titles during his tenure.

A 1984 graduate of Castleton State, Dempsey was a four-year starter on the basketball team and totaled over 1,000 points in his career. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1997.

"I am very honored to work at such a prestigious institution as the Naval Academy," said Dempsey. "I am also very excited to be reunited with my college teammate, Tom Marryott. We had a great deal of success together as players and now I am looking forward to achieving similar success as coaches."

Booker, who played under Marryott at the Naval Academy Prep School, is a 1998 graduate of the Naval Academy. He lettered during each of his four years at the Naval Academy, helping lead the Mids to a 74-41 overall record and a 39-11 Patriot League mark. Navy totaled three league regular season titles in Booker's career and reached the NCAA Tournament during his senior year.

The team leader in field goal percentage and in rebounds as both a junior and senior, Booker ranks third in Navy history with a career field goal percentage of 55.4-percent, is tied for fourth with 142 career steals, stands ninth with 628 career rebounds and 20th with 931 career points. He was named First-Team All-Patriot League in both 1997 and '98, and was selected as the league tournament MVP in 1997.

A surface warfare office, Booker first deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship the USS Ogden, then served as the auxiliaries officer aboard the destroyer USS Vandergrift from December, 2001 through May, 2003. The Vandergrift conducted escort operations for the career battle and amphibious readiness and logistical support groups during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Individually, Booker was a member of the eight-person VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) Teams which visited potential Iraqi contacts of interest to search for possible terrorists being smuggled around the Persian Gulf.

A lieutenant, Booker has been assigned to the Naval Academy since the summer of 2003 and teaches advanced navigation in the professional development department.

"It's great to be back at the Naval Academy and to be an assistant coach under Tom Marryott," said Booker. "He coached me at the Naval Academy Prep School where we had an excellent year in recording a 19-1 record, so he was a significant part of my basketball success at Navy. When I heard he was named head coach of the woman's program, I knew he would bring that same intensity and positive attitude to this team to take them over the top. The team is an excellent group of basketball players and I am honored to coach them."