Valparaiso AD Resigns

by **MissouriValleyUnite** » March 25th, 2024, 11:00 am

https://x.com/TVBOren/status/1772295859096498670?s=20

Maybe they’ll hire the Indiana State AD who got railroaded by the President?

**Sponsor**

by **BEARZ77** » March 25th, 2024, 11:27 am

Not trying to be smug, but they just appear in over their heads . MBB was their ticket , but their facilities, and everything else are decidedly behind other valley members , and MBB just hasn't been what was advertised. I feel for them,cause I don't see how they make this work.

by **MissouriValleyUnite** » March 25th, 2024, 11:34 am

BEARZ77 wrote:Not trying to be smug, but they just appear in over their heads . MBB was their ticket , but their facilities, and everything else are decidedly behind other valley members , and MBB just hasn't been what was advertised. I feel for them,cause I don't see how they make this work.

I feel bad too. I like their fans. The ones online and the ones I’ve met at STL or at Valpo games have always been really nice.

When this position was open last time, Valpo’s President gave an interview with D1 Ticker where he said he was looking for someone who can fundraise for a new arena. Imagine that will top his criteria again.

by **So iLL 24** » March 25th, 2024, 11:38 am

Been all downhill for Valpo since cutting their law program (eliminating donors) and changing mascot/brand from Cruisaders to Beacons

by **ReZyNeZy** » March 25th, 2024, 12:37 pm

MissouriValleyUnite wrote:
BEARZ77 wrote:Not trying to be smug, but they just appear in over their heads . MBB was their ticket , but their facilities, and everything else are decidedly behind other valley members , and MBB just hasn't been what was advertised. I feel for them,cause I don't see how they make this work.

I feel bad too. I like their fans. The ones online and the ones I’ve met at STL or at Valpo games have always been really nice.

When this position was open last time, Valpo’s President gave an interview with D1 Ticker where he said he was looking for someone who can fundraise for a new arena. Imagine that will top his criteria again.

The problem started when Bryce decided to leave VU the year they anouced joining the valley. From what I know, VU expected him to stay. Once he was gone, a large part of the staff left with him, leaving only Lottich to captain the ship. We all know how good of a coach Lottich truly was...not. The good run in 2020 was cut short after covid hit and our players decided to jump ship amidst the pandemic. Its just been a downward spiral of things that were largely out of the universities control. Initially I did not think they were in "over their heads", but when your skipper leaves the year you make the jump from low major to a strong Mid Major conference. It hurts. Small clearly made his decision based on family issues as his official statement to the athletic department was shared on VUs fan forum. He lost his father and wants to be closer to his family.

by **TylerDurden** » March 25th, 2024, 1:23 pm

ReZyNeZy wrote:
MissouriValleyUnite wrote:
BEARZ77 wrote:Not trying to be smug, but they just appear in over their heads . MBB was their ticket , but their facilities, and everything else are decidedly behind other valley members , and MBB just hasn't been what was advertised. I feel for them,cause I don't see how they make this work.

I feel bad too. I like their fans. The ones online and the ones I’ve met at STL or at Valpo games have always been really nice.

When this position was open last time, Valpo’s President gave an interview with D1 Ticker where he said he was looking for someone who can fundraise for a new arena. Imagine that will top his criteria again.

The problem started when Bryce decided to leave VU the year they anouced joining the valley. From what I know, VU expected him to stay. Once he was gone, a large part of the staff left with him, leaving only Lottich to captain the ship. We all know how good of a coach Lottich truly was...not. The good run in 2020 was cut short after covid hit and our players decided to jump ship amidst the pandemic. Its just been a downward spiral of things that were largely out of the universities control. Initially I did not think they were in "over their heads", but when your skipper leaves the year you make the jump from low major to a strong Mid Major conference. It hurts. Small clearly made his decision based on family issues as his official statement to the athletic department was shared on VUs fan forum. He lost his father and wants to be closer to his family.

That's not how the timeline went.

Lottich was the head coach a full season before they made the move. Drew left after the 15-16 season. Lottich coached the team that shared the HL regular season, but got beat in the league tournament.

Valpo joined in the 17-18 season, same year Wichita State went to the AAC.

by **ReZyNeZy** » March 26th, 2024, 6:18 pm

That's not how the timeline went.

Lottich was the head coach a full season before they made the move. Drew left after the 15-16 season. Lottich coached the team that shared the HL regular season, but got beat in the league tournament.

Valpo joined in the 17-18 season, same year Wichita State went to the AAC.

Talks to join the MVC came to VU in late 15 early 16. Drew Left after 15-16. They weren't just going to up and stop the conversations, but they still wished Drew would have elected to stay.

by **Campbellproud** » March 26th, 2024, 8:21 pm

Valpo burned the MVC by selling them a bill of goods. They weren’t ready for the MVC but the MVC offered them based on promises that they never made good on. They would have been a good add if they had been delivered, but I think they are doomed to be a boat anchor.

by **TylerDurden** » March 27th, 2024, 8:24 am

ReZyNeZy wrote:
That's not how the timeline went.

Lottich was the head coach a full season before they made the move. Drew left after the 15-16 season. Lottich coached the team that shared the HL regular season, but got beat in the league tournament.

Valpo joined in the 17-18 season, same year Wichita State went to the AAC.

Talks to join the MVC came to VU in late 15 early 16. Drew Left after 15-16. They weren't just going to up and stop the conversations, but they still wished Drew would have elected to stay.

First, you're changing your story. You said that Drew left the same year that Valpo announced it was joining the MVC. He did not, as a matter of fact.

Now you're saying that "talks to join..." were happening in late 2015-early 2016, which is an amorphous statement that's open to interpretation. Sounds like the chatter that comes out during a coaching search to save face. Valpo wasn't being asked to join in 2015 or 2016, regardless. If it were true, Valpo could have given proper notice to the Horizon League and not have had to pay the exit fee settlement.

Valpo had been vetted previously (as had several other schools - due diligence and such) and was a quick fallback because Wichita State moved to the AAC. The WSU stuff was all the chatter during the 2017 NCAA tournament. The WSU exit happened quickly. If you knew anything about Doug Elgin, it's that he loved the 10-team league model for the Valley. He certainly wasn't breaking that for Valpo more than a year before WSU left.

Valpo benefitted from an expedited timeline and because the MVC council believed their administration's promises about upgrades to investment and facilities. They seemed to be a safe, quick add at the time.

For civility's sake, let's assume we're debating semantics and your explanation is a plausible rationale for Valpo's lack of success in the league.

Questions remain:
Why did their AD leave after less than two year on the job?

What has Valpo done in the last decade to improve its program or facilities to the MVC level?

Does Valpo have a viable path for making improvement/investments in its program?

by **Birdfan2018** » March 27th, 2024, 8:48 am

During the process of interviewing/hiring Roger Powell Jr, were there any discussion as to what Valparaiso’s immediate and long term goals were for improving basketball facilities?
If yes, what were they? If no, why not. I would think that RPJ would want to know that the university that he was considering to be the head coach would want to know the seriousness of their commitment to his program and its progress.