PITTSBURG, KS – Since the announcement on Monday of the Gorillas hiring Wes Branstetter to lead the first ever women’s soccer program, the new coach spoke to building a strong culture within his first year.

“It starts with building a culture the right way,” Branstetter said.

“I have core values and behaviors I want this program to live by, but I also want these kids to play a big role because it’ll be the first group that others can look up to.”

Pitt State athletic director Jim Johnson said the hiring of Branstetter was an easy one due to his strong recruiting potential in the area.

Johnson also mentioned, with Branstetter’s resume, the building of the soccer program is ahead of schedule.

“We’re ahead of schedule based on what we’ve learned about recruiting,” Johnson said.

“We’ve felt like we’ve needed to get out ahead of that a little bit, and we certainly have to this point.”

Despite the freshness of the program, coach Branstetter said the team will still be strong despite being young.

“We’re going to compete right away,” Branstetter said.

“We play in one of the best conferences in the country, and Pitt State is a school that has strong support for their athletics.”