Peter Stewart favors only one style of basketball winning.

He's willing to use many different fashions to put those notches in the win column, from shooting the 3 to battling inside the paint.

Stewart's goal is to get the University of Mary men's basketball team back on the winning track. He was the last of three applicants to go through a formal interview on campus.

Randall Herbst, a Nebraska-Omaha assistant, interviewed on Tuesday. Mike Heideman, a former NCAA Division I head coach who has been in charge of player development at Washington State, interviewed on Thursday.

The position came open after Juno Pintar resigned after this past season.

"It all depends on your personnel," Stewart said. "We adapt to the style of kids we bring in.

"We will be the first to dive on the floor," Stewart added. "We will always be executing the right thing. We're going to outrebound teams."

Stewart has coached at almost all levels NCAA Division II, NAIA, junior college, high school and semi-professional and he has coached overseas.

He is currently the head coach at Peninsula College, a junior college in Port Angeles, Wash.

"You'd be surprised," said Stewart, a native of Parshall. "I have to teach my son's third- and fourth-grade baseball team the same things I'm teaching young men. Basketball is a great opportunity to teach life skills."

Stewart and his wife Julie, who is also a North Dakota native, want to return to their home state after living away from it for 20 years. Julie coaches women's basketball at Peninsula College.

U-Mary has presented the Stewarts with an opportunity to return home and teach the game of basketball.

"Our kids are at the age where we want them to experience the culture we grew up in," Stewart said. "Grandma and grandpa are here. We're in a goofy profession. When you get an opportunity to get home, you want to take a good hard look at it. We've coached and had success all over the world. It's time to come home."

Stewart has coached Peninsula College to three Northwest Athletic Association of Community College titles in seven seasons.

After going 3-21 his first year at Peninsula College, in 2002-03, Stewart reversed the team's fortune with a conference-title winning record of 23-7 the following season.

He was named the conference coach of the year in 2004 and 2008.

Stewart led Peninsula College to postseason play five times and placed in four of the tournaments. The Pirates have won 84 percent of their home games during that span, including a 21-game home-court winning streak.

In seven years, Stewart has compiled a record of 114-87 with three seasons of 20 or more wins.

If Stewart were to be offered the job at U-Mary, he would then decide if he would bring on his own assistants or tap into what's at U-Mary.

Stewart met with the returning players on Friday and was impressed.

"It was a Friday and there were finals," Stewart said. "They all hung around to meet the last candidate.

"First and foremost you have to give the kids here respect and find out what their desire is," Stewart added. "You have to give the kids here an opportunity to hear our story and what we want to accomplish and do they want to be part of it?"

Stewart played college ball at the University of North Dakota, where he graduated in 1989. He played semi-professionally overseas and helped win the initial Malaysian Basketball League championship in 1995.

The competitiveness of the Northern Sun also appeals to Stewart. Stewart recognizes a lot of former North Central Conference names from his playing days.

He's also familiar with Don Meyer, the Northern State men's coach who holds an NCAA record for most career wins.

"To go head to head against one of those guys is a wonderful opportunity to prove you're good at what you do," Stewart said. "I want to win. I don't like losing. I have three kids, and I don't let them beat me in checkers."