They Want Coach Drew

[Valpower]

I can say being a Valpo fan and DAD (which is far prouder than anything!!!) and a former DePaul, Alum, season ticket holder and (still am there) fan, DePaul was willing to pay Bryce $750K per year according to some in the know on their sites. He inquired and from what I understand declined his "formal" interview that Sunday and they signed Leitao shortly there after. Partly because DePaul is a Catholic that acts as public instiution and the Catholicism part is by affiliation. Bryce is a man of strong convictions and wants a University to support his endeavor in that and DePaul was not willing, shame on them but they have the most inompetent AD in the history of ADs and they deserve what they get.

Second, Bryce made more by playing in the league than his brother (who went to a very Christian schoo)l , (7.8MM according to Wikipedia). Is he underpaid, yes. But Valpo can only go so far and they know he is a STAR and accommodate him to that end. Will he get that at other schools? Probably. Does Bryce appear to be a guy that is out it for the ends? I do not think so. He knows what he has here and there in lies an altruistic value. Valpo gives him free reign and uses that to run a clean and honorable program. To me, for Bryce to leave would mean it is in the best interests of his family and give him a challenge that he could not get anywhere else.

Lastly, he made "the shot" here, with his dad coaching and turned that it into a lucrative basketball career. He was raised here, has his number in the rafters. Has an administration, student body and fan base that LOVES him. He comes across as very cerebral and a man with convictions and loyalty. And even if Carter does leave (what a player), has Peters, Adeboya, Hammink, Scara and the unheralded Trevon Martin coming back for a season that may rival this one. St. Lousi cannot give him what he got. He's doing it here with the limitations he has and I can tell you this, with all of us behind him and willing to continue to give to this Program, facilities will be upgraded eventually. I used to give to DePaul annually but they showed me they don't care. I came to Valpo games to see good basketball locally. My daughter is a Dancer so I get "free" season tickets which I budgeted for and was willing to pay for and I didn't have to. I "pocketed" that money and am willing to donate to a Program and a University that exceeds any thing I could imagine. Speaking from a parent's perspective, this school is so underrated and the people within it so good. My daughter made a GREAT decision and I am a VALPO fan for life!!!!

Trevon Martin? You're not confusing Tevonn Walker with Trayvon Martin, are you? Yikes.

[humbleopinion]

Bryce's 2015 salary: $285,927

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach/

"Plus incentives". Do we know what the the incentives are?  The base salary could be held down so it doesn't appear out of line with the other salaries around campus.  This is absolutely conjecture, but the incentives could be easily reached (e.g.$several K per win or per graduate or per prayer).  I just believe that there is a system to make it easier for him to stay at Valpo.

[ValpoDad89]

Trevon Martin? You're not confusing Tevonn Walker with Trayvon Martin, are you? Yikes.
                     
My bad, it was late and I had watched a lot of basketball. Thanks for pointing out, I corrected.            
                  
                     
                     
                     
                        

[usc4valpo]

Dad,

That was an outstanding post. My dad went to DePaul and we used to go to games even before the Mark Aguirre years and listening to the great Red Rush broadcasting and using the Gonnella Bread scoreboard. Those were wonderful years of basketball and the program had a Valparaiso feel to it. We watch entertaining basketball and teams at Alumni Hall - Marquette under Al McGuire, Dayton, Providence, Loyola and the El train rivalry, Notre Dame with Digger whining, etc.

I am surprised DePaul was going to give Drew only $750K considering Purnell was making $1.8M and I am sure their current coach is making more. Drew was very smart not to go to the DePaul cesspool. Their AD and "family" administration has made that program a joke - with the talent in Chicago, how can you not bring in players and built a team that can at least play respectedly?

After seeing this, I think Valpo is fortunate to have Mark LaBarbera as the AD.  He is very competent and very cordial.

[vu72]

Bryce's 2015 salary: $285,927

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach/

"Plus incentives". Do we know what the the incentives are?  The base salary could be held down so it doesn't appear out of line with the other salaries around campus.  This is absolutely conjecture, but the incentives could be easily reached (e.g.$several K per win or per graduate or per prayer).  I just believe that there is a system to make it easier for him to stay at Valpo.

I have no idea.  I was told that Bryce was the highest paid in the Horizon and this confirms that.  As to "incentives", I suspect that Bryce, (like Homer before him) has significant "deferred comp" in his contract. Homer was the highest paid employee years after he retired from coaching (as I recall).

[ml2]

Bryce's 2015 salary: $285,927

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach/

"Plus incentives". Do we know what the the incentives are?  The base salary could be held down so it doesn't appear out of line with the other salaries around campus.  This is absolutely conjecture, but the incentives could be easily reached (e.g.$several K per win or per graduate or per prayer).  I just believe that there is a system to make it easier for him to stay at Valpo.

This page from USA Today on the methodology used to gather their salary data will shed some light on these questions. http://sports.usatoday.com/2015/03/31/2015-mens-basketball-coaches-pay-methodology/

"Pay information came from federal tax returns. Documents provide compensation data for the 2012 calendar year, based on all income paid by the school or related organization, including benefits, perks and performance bonuses."

[historyman]

They are all diluted.

With saline or H2O?

I think it's mostly Budweiser.

[a3uge]

Bryce's 2015 salary: $285,927

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach/

"Plus incentives". Do we know what the the incentives are?  The base salary could be held down so it doesn't appear out of line with the other salaries around campus.  This is absolutely conjecture, but the incentives could be easily reached (e.g.$several K per win or per graduate or per prayer).  I just believe that there is a system to make it easier for him to stay at Valpo.

I have no idea.  I was told that Bryce was the highest paid in the Horizon and this confirms that.  As to "incentives", I suspect that Bryce, (like Homer before him) has significant "deferred comp" in his contract. Homer was the highest paid employee years after he retired from coaching (as I recall).

Just an fyi, but Jeter was making $456,000 per year.

[FWalum]

"Pay information came from federal tax returns. Documents provide compensation data for the 2012 calendar year, based on all income paid by the school or related organization, including benefits, perks and performance bonuses."

Maybe I'm daff, but how did they come up with 2015 salary data from his 2012 federal tax returns???

[Smj]

http://cdn2.thegrindstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/skyfalling.jpg

Go Valpo!

[historyman]

My daughter made a GREAT decision and I am a VALPO fan for life!!!!

Come on down! (from DePaul) You're the next parent on "Valpo is Right!"

[bbtds]

but the Stanford and Pitt openings have potential.  The Cornell and Dartmouth might intrigue him a bit, but I don't see the fit.

All 4 don't seem like places that would be that welcoming to Bryce's idea of coaching with a true christian emphasis.

[talksalot]

Stanford just hired the UAB coach...

[vufan75]

Georgia Tech just fired their Head Coach Brian Gregory. ACC and down south but not probably the "right" special job to fit Bryce? 

[usc4valpo]

Not sure - GT is a private school, and rambling wrecks and helluva engineers. Bryce may be a decent fit there.

[valpotx]

Georgia Tech is probably a threat, but they will probably want someone with local connections, since the previous Dayton coach didn't work out.

[HC]

Mark Price

[vu84v2]

Georgia Tech is public. A very good school with plenty of money that they invest in academics and athletics.

[usc4valpo]

Sorry, my bad. I have been very impressed with Georgia Tech's engineering college.

[talksalot]

From the GaTech blog site:

http://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/georgia-tech-basketball/2016/3/26/11308818/basketball-expectations-for-the-coaching-search-post-brian-Gregory

selection from that blogpost:

Several folks have gone about bringing up potential candidates, from the well-known Archie Miller of Dayton, Chris Mack of Xavier, and Georgia Tech alumnus Craig Neal, as well as many more lesser-known candidates from smaller schools around the country. I don't want to go through a comprehensive list of candidates here

...oh, their AD came from Xavier...

[wh]

but the Stanford and Pitt openings have potential.  The Cornell and Dartmouth might intrigue him a bit, but I don't see the fit.

All 4 don't seem like places that would be that welcoming to Bryce's idea of coaching with a true christian emphasis.

It would take about 5 minutes after Bryce's first public display of faith for some Athiest or Muslim group to become "offended" and the war would be on. I'm sure Bryce is too smart to subject himself to unending criticism from the perpetually offended and agreived snakepit of academia.

[crusadermoe]

None of the jobs sound like they would tempt Bryce except for one:  Vanderbilt.   

Has good academics and in the "winnable" (after KY) SEC where he wouldn't coach against Scott).

[vu84v2]

Would have thought Stanford would also be a potential good fit, but agree that Vanderbilt could be a very good fit if they are interested.

Frankly I am very tired of the broad generalizations against all academia. I would suggest that, instead of focusing on a handful of reports from biased media outlets, spend some time on a university campus and get to know what the majority of faculty and students focus on.

[valpopal]

Add another place to keep an eye out for or to ignore if you want: Would Bryce be willing to move from VU (HL) to VU (SEC)? Mixed messages out of Vanderbilt about whether Kevin Stallings will return as Vandy's head coach and whether he has been contacted about the St. Louis job. The fans at Vanderbilt are mentioning as a possible replacement for Stallings—who else?—Bryce. 

Stallings has moved to Pitt. Two leading candidates for Vanderbilt job are Will Wade and Bryce. First-choice Wade has only been at VCU one year, and I'm not sure he'd want to leave, though since childhood, he is a lifelong Vanderbilt guy. Vandy is a private university in an interesting city not too far from Valpo and family members, with high academics and an endowment of over $4 billion. I don't think there are any seniors among the basketball team's starters, the coach's salary is about $2 million per year, plus Vandy is in the SEC, where they finished just 2 games behind Kentucky. Finally, it is another "VU"! I hope I'm wrong, but assuming Bryce is seriously considering offers, hard to see Bryce saying no if this comes his way. Good luck, Will Wade!

[atkins]

I don't see Bryce leaving Valpo for Vandy.  The school doesn't fit Bryce  Vandy is a fine institution, with wealth oozing from its pores, but it is not a destination basketball program. I see no chance of a move to Vandy unless it is a financial decision.  Financial gain is great, but Valpo has never been a freespending institution, and that fact has not driven Bryce away (yet,at least). 

Would Bryce someday leave to take a position at Indiana University?  Sure. But that sort of position is not easy on family life.