They Want Coach Drew

[hailcrusaders]

There is nothing to this...sideline hoops has 120 followers. Don't believe it. Absolutely nothing to it.

Neither Todd Ickow^ nor Paul Oren are buying it. Yet. I'm still in the denial stage.

[VULB#62]

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[wh]

Why would anyone think Valpo would be successful without Bryce?  Short of dressing up Hilltop and doing a little office/ locker room remodeling, the administration has invested nothing into mens basketball during the entire Drew era. Instead, it rode the coat tails of Homer's charisma, the utter windfall of landing the coach's Mr. Basketball son as a recruit, coach and high major son taking the program to the Sweet 16, another son having the vision to beat the competition to the punch in landing foreign recruits, and just when it seemed like it was all over high major son returns and returns the program to king of the mountain status - in a higher profile conference no less.

Here's my prediction if Bryce leaves. He will take most, if not all, of the coaching staff with him. AP and KC (if eligible) will follow him and have a huge positive impact on a successful first year for Bryce at his new home. Someone will be left to pick up the pieces at Valpo and essentially start over. We will be middle of the pack and go down hill from there. Good players like Derrik will start planning their exit strategy. Within 2 years the new coach will be pleading for a major upgrade in facilities in order to get on a level playing field. After another 2 or 3 years, during which we fall to the basement of the HL, the administration will begrudgingly announce a new fundraising initiative. About 8 years from now we will have a ribbon cutting ceremony and the 3rd head coach since Bryce left will be praising the administration for stepping up to the plate. Look for a new marketing campaign to follow - "Return to Glory."  Average attendance the first year after will top 1000 for the first time in 5 years. Average number of posters on the mesage will suddenly rise to 4, surpassing CSU and UIC.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

[oklahomamick]

wow, negative nancy.  Roger Powell would not follow Bryce if Mark and administration offer him the head job here.  Powell would have a choice to continue to sit behind the head coach far away from home, or he could have his own program near his upbringing and recruiting grounds. 

[Chairback]

Step back off the ledge WH.  It's just basketball, and it doesn't love you back.

Kudos to Bryce if he moves up the coaching ladder.  Can you imagine how good he can be if he was able to recruit 4 to 5 star players every year. 

If we needed a new coach, I think RP would do great.  He's got the playing experience at all the highest levels, recruits, faith based, and has done his time as an assistant.  I think he'd be one of the best coaches in the league instantly.  I'd like to see him be a head coach soon. I'd come out to the games and support him.

Peters doesn't need to follow Bryce or play for him to be good.  Smits has a place where he can develop for 4 years and start.  KC (if eligible) is not a starting point guard at a P5 school.

[Just Sayin]

From a fan on one of the GT's fan boards:

"Word is Drew's already working on his new Staff and they will announce the signing with us any time. Always a chance for a last minute snag, but that's where things stand now."

[Just Sayin]

https://gtswarm.com/threads/whose-it-gonna-be.9427/

[chef]

Let's say I call that same person and say let's make a 10k wager on if Bryce Drew is the next coach at GT. I bet they don't take the bet. You know why, because that person who posted it knows nothing. As you can tell, I'm getting pretty tired of people posting things on the internet without any true knowledge of the situation.

[vu72]

wow, negative nancy.  Roger Powell would not follow Bryce if Mark and administration offer him the head job here. Powell would have a choice to continue to sit behind the head coach far away from home, or he could have his own program near his upbringing and recruiting grounds. 

Our friend wh has always had a sore spot when it comes to facilities.  I would beg to differ however.  Sure, we need upgrades but they don't win games, players and coaches do.

Let's take a quick look at a similar mid-major who invested over $26 million in new facilities during 2011.  It is akin to us building a new rec center and then redoing/modernizing the ARC.  Their results?  Over the last 5 years they have had onewinning season which resulted in a second round loss in the CBI. They are a much larger school with a much larger alumni base.

One other small point. wh missed the improvements added in 2011.  A new four sided scoreboard, new shot clocks, LED lights around the backboards and, a brand new floor.  And there is a major effort by the fund raising folks to find a lead donor for the rec center.  Progress is underway.

[vu72]

Step back off the ledge WH.  It's just basketball, and it doesn't love you back.

Kudos to Bryce if he moves up the coaching ladder.  Can you imagine how good he can be if he was able to recruit 4 to 5 star players every year. 

If we needed a new coach, I think RP would do great.  He's got the playing experience at all the highest levels, recruits, faith based, and has done his time as an assistant.  I think he'd be one of the best coaches in the league instantly.  I'd like to see him be a head coach soon. I'd come out to the games and support him.

Peters doesn't need to follow Bryce or play for him to be good.  Smits has a place where he can develop for 4 years and start.  KC (if eligible) is not a starting point guard at a P5 school.

[/b]

Well said Chairback.  I do have to disagree about KC.  I think he would start at many P5 schools.

[chef]

He would have been a significant upgrade for Baylor at the point and they were in the top 25 most of the year.

[Just Sayin]

Let's say I call that same person and say let's make a 10k wager on if Bryce Drew is the next coach at GT. I bet they don't take the bet. You know why, because that person who posted it knows nothing. As you can tell, I'm getting pretty tired of people posting things on the internet without any true knowledge of the situation.

You are probably right, but that's the scuttlebutt from GT fans. Some of the posters on this forum have inside information about VU but sometimes don't spill the beans even if they know. It's the same thing elsewhere. That guy is probably just making stuff up; on the other hand, he may be an insider. All in all, it's speculation until it's confirmed one way or the other. Sometimes speculation is fun.

[chef]

I know he's making it up.

[Just Sayin]

I know he's making it up.

I don't doubt you one bit for obvious reasons.

[valpotx]

I choose to believe Todd.  Georgia Tech doesn't seem like a school that Bryce would leave for.  He would have to abandon his entire coaching philosophy of bringing his belief system with him every day.  The guy talks up the spiritual side every time he speaks, and I can't see him ever leaving for a public school.  Georgia Tech is a fantastic school, but I don't see nor believe that he would go there.  Vandy is more of a threat, but I still believe that he would rather be the Mark Few of Valpo, than to try and be one of the Power 5 teams that refuses to play against him.  Both Bryce and Peters seem to have a large school chip on their shoulder.

[VULB#62]

D-man44 said: ↑
I hope he is right! #1 on my list of realistic Candidates
Eh, I'll support him but he'd better rope in some recruiting demons on his staff.

D-man44 said: ↑
He should be able to recruit in my opinion -- former 1st round draft pick so can relate and hit one of the most famous shots ever

Hope so, brutha. I'm beyond ready to see some bigtime GT bball again.

kg01, Today at 8:50 AM #16


Some scrapes from the GT board.  Somehow, after meeting him and talking with him, I don't see Bryce fitting into this kind of meatgrinder regardless of the $$$ involved.  These kinds of programs usually require a cum laude graduate of UCSU ( Used Car Salesman University) and a post graduate degree from Trump University with a specialization in BMSTO (bad mouth and screw the opposition). That's not Bryce, and he would not have his assistants be like that either.  If he did take a job that requires that kind of personality, he would constantly be beaten in recruiting no matter what he does as a courtside coach.

[oklahomamick]

heard detroit mercy or what ever they are calling themselves these days is really pushing for Bryce. Even offered a spot teaching theology as well.

[VULB#62]

 

[justducky]

KC (if eligible) is not a starting point guard at a P5 school.

I think he would start at many P5 schools.

All the run and gun programs would pass, but ball control coaches would be taking a hard look.

[usc4valpo]

It is me, or is the Drew search and rumors an annual rinse and repeat activity?

[wh]

Step back off the ledge WH.  It's just basketball, and it doesn't love you back.

Kudos to Bryce if he moves up the coaching ladder.  Can you imagine how good he can be if he was able to recruit 4 to 5 star players every year. 

If we needed a new coach, I think RP would do great.  He's got the playing experience at all the highest levels, recruits, faith based, and has done his time as an assistant.  I think he'd be one of the best coaches in the league instantly.  I'd like to see him be a head coach soon. I'd come out to the games and support him.

Peters doesn't need to follow Bryce or play for him to be good.  Smits has a place where he can develop for 4 years and start.  KC (if eligible) is not a starting point guard at a P5 school.

I know I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum from where you are, but I don't think complementing impending disaster for the men's bb program is unrealistic at all. What grabbed my attention was your comment about looking forward with seeming anticipation to the post Drew era. The last time I heard something similar was in 1998 when Jerry Krause stated after MJ announced that he was done that he was excited about the challenge of building another championship team, (as if he built the first one).Of course, that was after he had disrespected MJ on numerous occasions with comments like players don't win championships, organizations do. As we all know, he could not have been more wrong - starting with the disastrous Tim Floyd hire and continuing to this very day.

Now, substitute Drew Family for Michael Jordan and Valparaiso University for Chicago Bulls, and then come join me on the ledge. Otherwise, give me the names of some organization insiders that drove the Drew era success, or explain how the name Valparaiso University located in a little town in NWI made recruiting a breeze. Give me anything that will convince me that Valparaiso University the institution played any part or deserves any credit in building Valpo into a mid major power.  Then maybe I'll step back off the ledge.

[a3uge]

Step back off the ledge WH.  It's just basketball, and it doesn't love you back.

Kudos to Bryce if he moves up the coaching ladder.  Can you imagine how good he can be if he was able to recruit 4 to 5 star players every year. 

If we needed a new coach, I think RP would do great.  He's got the playing experience at all the highest levels, recruits, faith based, and has done his time as an assistant.  I think he'd be one of the best coaches in the league instantly.  I'd like to see him be a head coach soon. I'd come out to the games and support him.

Peters doesn't need to follow Bryce or play for him to be good.  Smits has a place where he can develop for 4 years and start.  KC (if eligible) is not a starting point guard at a P5 school.

I know it's on the opposite end of the spectrum from where you are, but I don't think complementing impending disaster for the men's bb program is unrealistic at all. What Really got my attention was your comment about looking forward with seeming anticipation to the post Drew era. The last time I heard something similar was in 1998 when Jerry Krause stated after MJ announced that he was done that he was excited about the challenge of building another championship team, as if he built the first one. Of course, that was after he had disrespected MJ on numerous occasions with comments like players don't win championships, organizations do. As we all know, he could not have been more wrong - starting with the disastrous Tim Floyd hire and continuing to this very day. Now, substitute Drew Family for Michael Jordan and Valparaiso University for Chicago Bulls, and then comes join me on the ledge. Otherwise, give me the names of some organization insiders that drove the Drew era success, or explain how the name Valparaiso University located in a little town in NWI makes recruiting a breeze. Give me anything that will convince me that Valparaiso University the institution Had any positive impact or deserves any credit in building Valpo into a mid major power.  Then maybe I'll step back off the ledge.

Except Bryce Drew isn't in the top 3 NCAA coaches of all time and Valpo isn't coming off of 6 national championships...

[wh]

Step back off the ledge WH.  It's just basketball, and it doesn't love you back.

Kudos to Bryce if he moves up the coaching ladder.  Can you imagine how good he can be if he was able to recruit 4 to 5 star players every year. 

If we needed a new coach, I think RP would do great.  He's got the playing experience at all the highest levels, recruits, faith based, and has done his time as an assistant.  I think he'd be one of the best coaches in the league instantly.  I'd like to see him be a head coach soon. I'd come out to the games and support him.

Peters doesn't need to follow Bryce or play for him to be good.  Smits has a place where he can develop for 4 years and start.  KC (if eligible) is not a starting point guard at a P5 school.

I know it's on the opposite end of the spectrum from where you are, but I don't think complementing impending disaster for the men's bb program is unrealistic at all. What Really got my attention was your comment about looking forward with seeming anticipation to the post Drew era. The last time I heard something similar was in 1998 when Jerry Krause stated after MJ announced that he was done that he was excited about the challenge of building another championship team, as if he built the first one. Of course, that was after he had disrespected MJ on numerous occasions with comments like players don't win championships, organizations do. As we all know, he could not have been more wrong - starting with the disastrous Tim Floyd hire and continuing to this very day. Now, substitute Drew Family for Michael Jordan and Valparaiso University for Chicago Bulls, and then comes join me on the ledge. Otherwise, give me the names of some organization insiders that drove the Drew era success, or explain how the name Valparaiso University located in a little town in NWI makes recruiting a breeze. Give me anything that will convince me that Valparaiso University the institution Had any positive impact or deserves any credit in building Valpo into a mid major power.  Then maybe I'll step back off the ledge.

Except Bryce Drew isn't in the top 3 NCAA coaches of all time and Valpo isn't coming off of 6 national championships...

Why are things always so difficult???  The Bulls were terrible before MJ arrived, good to great when he was there, and terrible again when he left. Valpo mens basketball was terrible before the Drew family arrived, good to great when they were there, and terrible when they left. And why?  As I have stated many times in the past, I know for a fact that Homer made repeated pleas to upgrade the ARC. This started before Scott took the reigns and continued after we joined the HL in our early difficult years when Homer recognized that the ARC had become a recruiting disadvantage as compared to 8 of the other 9 HL schools. His pleas fell on deaf ears. We very likely would have fallen on hard times then, if not for Bryce returning as his dad's assistant. If it helps make anyone feel better I'll give Valparaiso University the institution this much credit - someone had the good sense to hire Homer and stay with him during the lean beginning years, and they stayed out of the way when he wanted to hire his 2 sons.

[rogerwilco]

All I can tell you about my Valpo days is that Bryce Drew recommended an apartment complex that I was considering moving into.

The one thing about the place that he mentioned that he liked: It had a garbage disposal. 100% true. I thought it was an odd selling point.

Is VU providing enough garbage disposal systems for Coach Drew? This tiny thing could be the tipping point for Bryce to jump jobs.

Shout out to the Mayfield Apartments!

[oklahomamick]

haha, I lived in Mayfield apartments for a year.