I think most fans kind of felt this was a logical choice, much like Mullins to SIU, I just expected we'd have one more year with Moser and Valentine as an associate level head coach. But once the Moser news broke most media members immediately pegged Valentine as the smart choice. He's been the top assistant the last two years, and should maintain a lot of what's been built here. While there were a ton of other coaches out there, you're likely looking at a ground up rebuild at that point. And the "culture" thing is real around the program and worth maintaining.
There's been a lot of talk around Loyola being a potential Gonzaga of the midwest, and part of that story is Dan Monson taking the zags to the elite 8 and leaving town for Minnesota and his top assistant Mark Few taking over. I'm by no means calling Valentine Mark Few, but it does fit the blueprints they've been building toward.