excellent coaches & great people

[vufan75]

Valpo is blessed to have a group of not only excellent coaches, but great people as well. Here is an example and an article on Coach Roger Powell.

http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/sports/goss/18559722-419/goss-roger-powell-jr-expands-ministry-at-valparaiso.html

Goss: Roger Powell Jr. expands ministry at Valparaiso

by Dick Goss dgoss@stmedianetwork.com March 2, 2013 12:04AM

A conversation with Roger Powell Jr. invariably involves basketball and his ministry.

The former Joliet Township and University of Illinois standout is a minister who founded RPJ Ministries and previously was on a path that would have led to being pastor of a church.

In June 2011, however, shortly after his final season of playing pro basketball overseas, Powell interviewed with coach Bryce Drew for an opening on Drew's staff at Valparaiso University.

Powell landed the job. His ministry remains; it merely plays out in a different arena.

Coaching has been all I expected it to be," Powell said. "I really enjoy it. It is a great opportunity to impact the lives of young men. It is one of the most rewarding careers I could have chosen."

Valparaiso is a Lutheran-based independent university, and Drew emphasizes the importance of character and values. Powell is an ideal fit.

"Roger is doing a tremendous job," said Drew, known for "The Shot"that allowed Valparaiso to beat Mississippi State in the 1998 NCAA Tournament and later a starting guard with the Bulls. "He is a huge asset to our staff. He was an excellent player and has the potential to be an even better coach. He has a great passion for the game and he helps young men become positive influences in society."

Powell said coaching indeed may be his life calling.

"I am planning to stay with it, for me and my family," he said. "My wife loves being around the guys on the team and our daughter loves being at the games. I foresee doing this in the future."

Powell said former Valparaiso coach Homer Drew, Bryce's dad, is a big help.

"Having Bryce's dad around as a mentor got me thinking that maybe I will have the opportunity to be a head coach some day, and I'd like to do that," Powell said. Bryce's dad is one of the most amazing people I have known. He relates so well."

Valparaiso has enjoyed another successful season. After a key 73-64 win over Youngstown State on Tuesday, the Crusaders entered Saturday's regular-season finale against Green Bay with a 23-7 record. Whether they need to win the Horizon League Tournament to earn an NCAA Tournament bid is debatable, but no matter. The approach is to take it a game at a time.

"Obviously, we want to win every game we play," Powell said. "We don't worry about the tournament, we just focus on the next opponent. The win over Youngstown State put us in a pretty good position with the Horizon tournament."

Powell's duties as an assistant are many, which he enjoys.

"Coach Drew gives all three of us assistants a lot of responsibility," he said. I'm really big into recruiting. I've been doing that a lot. I hope to get more guys from Illinois here.

"I also work with our defense, creating different ways we can guard teams. We continue to work with the development of our guys. I bring in new drills that I've learned through the years."

On the recruiting trail, Powell said, "We try to look at character. We look at mid-major to high-major level kids. Then if a kid fits in with our style and high character, I ask how I can build a relationship with the kid. After we decide this would be great fit, it's let's go after him. And once we have that fit, let's build a relationship.

It's a more personal type of recruiting. I want to impact your life. When you get married, I want to be invited to your wedding."

While on-court preparation may have become more sophisticated, Powell said the game itself "is very similar to when I played. Basketball is basketball. Of course, I haven't been gone that long. I retired in 2010.

"It is different going from playing professionally to returning to college and getting back into the swing of college basketball. Since I left Illinois, skills seem to have improved in college, and there's a lot of parity, probably more than when I played."

Powell said he still keeps an eye on Illinois.

"I follow how Bruce Weber (Kansas State) and Bill Self (Kansas) are doing, too," he said. They're both in the Big 12. They were my coaches. It's cool to follow those guys."

Powell agrees with the majority opinion that the Big Ten is king in 2013.

"The Big Ten is the best conference in the country right now, obviously, with the success Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and some of the others have had," he said. I'd love to see Illinois get back up to that level. I'm really excited for that to happen.

"But right now, my focus is the Horizon League."

Powell was honorable mention All-Big Ten his junior and senior seasons at Illinois. His final year, the Illini finished 37-2 and were second in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

His pro career included several camps with NBA teams, a stint with the Utah Jazz, earning CBA Rookie of the Year honors, winning a scoring title and sportsmanship award in the NBA's developmental league and several season of international competition.

"Obviously, I could have kept playing for a while," Powell said. "But I am happy with my decision to stop. If I had kept playing, I would have missed the opportunity to coach in a program like Bryce's. I would have missed out on coaching at Valparaiso."

That would have been a mistake.

[agibson]

This ran in... the Joliet paper?  In March?

I'd forgotten he was in HS in Joliet.

Nice piece.

[vufan75]

This ran in... the Joliet paper?  In March?

I'd forgotten he was in HS in Joliet.

Nice piece.

Yes sir. The article ran in the Joliet Herald, which looks like it is one of the Chicago Sun-Times newspapers. The article did run in March 2013. Coach Powell played his HS basketball for one of the Joliet high schools, though don't recall which one for sure.

[bbtds]

This ran in... the Joliet paper?  In March?

I'd forgotten he was in HS in Joliet.

Nice piece.

Yes sir. The article ran in the Joliet Herald, which looks like it is one of the Chicago Sun-Times newspapers. The article did run in March 2013. Coach Powell played his HS basketball for one of the Joliet high schools, though don't recall which one for sure.

Joliet Township (also referred to as Joliet Central) High School

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Powell_(basketball)

[valporun]

Anyone notice the writer said "The Shot" was against Mississippi State, instead of Mississippi (Ole Miss)? Not that it matters all that much, but seems the writer failed on a part of his research homework about the university.

[valpopal]

Unfortunately, I just heard that Coach Powell is being considered for the Assistant Coach position at Purdue recently vacated by Shrewsberry leaving to join the staff of the Celtics with Brad Stevens. I'd hate to see us lose Coach Powell, especially to Purdue.

[valpospartan]

Unfortunately, I just heard that Coach Powell is being considered for the Assistant Coach position at Purdue recently vacated by Shrewsberry leaving to join the staff of the Celtics with Brad Stevens. I'd hate to see us lose Coach Powell, especially to Purdue.

Me too.

[valpotx]

Makes sense.  He seems to be a solid recruiter, and would be sorely missed by Valpo if he left.  He would be hard to replace

[vufan75]

Unfortunately, I just heard that Coach Powell is being considered for the Assistant Coach position at Purdue recently vacated by Shrewsberry leaving to join the staff of the Celtics with Brad Stevens. I'd hate to see us lose Coach Powell, especially to Purdue.

Any further news or update on Coach Powell possibly accepting another coaching job?  It would definitely be tough timing for Valpo recruiting with this month being a big recruiting month with all the camps going on or having just finished.  Sure hope Valpo finds a way to hang on to him for awhile longer. IMO he has been a great addition to the Valpo coaching staff and head coaching material down the road somewhere. We don't want to be down 2 assistant coaches at this point in the off season.

[atkins]

This would be a huge coaching loss for us.  Perhaps even greater than if Bryce were to leave.  I did not expect Roger to remain at VU indefinitely because Valpo is just an early stop along the way for a coach who has his potential and who already has demonstrated high-level recruiting abilities, but I still hate the thought of losing him this early in his coaching career.  Regardless, we have to face the reality that Valpo is not (yet) a destination program for coaches of his caliber....but apparently neither is Butler. 

[valpopal]

With the July recruiting period at an end, Purdue is expected to name their new assistant coach by the end of this week. Word is that Coach Powell is a leading candidate among the finalists being considered.

[valpotx]

I have to think that he will get the Purdue job.  They have had success recruiting from the Chicagoland area over their history, and Powell will only help them in that area, as he has with Valpo.

http://www.hammerandrails.com/2013/7/29/4568658/who-could-be-the-next-member-of-matt-painters-staff

Interesting that Powell is coaching an AIA team going to Lithuania in August.  Hopefully he signs up a tall Eastern European to Valpo before he bolts!  David Chadwick is playing on this team too.

http://www.kstatesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/072413aaa.html

[valpopal]

Good news if Oren is correct in his tweet this evening: "Though I work in an industry that loves rumors, I always wonder where they come from. Diebler is only assistant leaving Valpo this summer."

[chef]

There was never any serious talk involving Coach Powell and Purdue. Roger loves working with Bryce and loves working with Valpo. He's comfortable here. He's greatly looking forward to seeing these recruits make great strides over the next few seasons. Roger brought the bulk of these kids in, and you can bet that means a lot more to him than it would an assistant somewhere else.

[valpotx]

Always good to know, and I hope it works out that way.  I am sure that, like Bryce, he probably made some good money playing professionally, and can take several seasons of Assistant pay at a smaller school like Valpo to learn the ropes.  Obviously, we haven't seen these kids play as of yet, but their reputations have raised our expectations quite a bit.  Only so long before a larger program takes even more notice, and is too hard to turn down (same with Bryce).

[valpopal]

Update: Matt Painter has hired former teammate Brandon Brantley as his assistant coach, especially chosen to work with post players.

[valpopal]

Coach Powell shows how it is done!

Uncle Powell

[historyman]

Coach Powell shows how it is done! Uncle Powell

I guess Father Bryce isn't the best basketball player in the city of Valparaiso anymore.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Eh, pick your poison.  It's kind of like red vs. white wine...

...or perhaps the 25th anniversary of

[agibson]

Coach Powell shows how it is done!

Nice!

[valpopal]

Coach Powell ranked top assistant coach in the Horizon League!   

http://nextuprecruits.com/2013/09/07/top-5-ncaa-assistant-coach-rankings-by-conference/

[wh]

Bryce named 4th best coach under 40:

http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketballs-best-coaches-under-40-0

[Smj]

In my book it is not just about winning that defines a coach...