Matt Lottich Is Our Coach...Let's Look Underneath the Hood

[ValpoDad89]

For better or worse Matt is our coach like it or not. Let's assess his shortcomings but more than that what we see as positives.

Positives in my book. Played in a major conference under a heralded coach in Mike Montgomery
Played professionally and more so overseas where he developed good contacts. Valpo basketball has always had some sort of international flavor.
Coached under Bryce Drew, played for Mike Montgomery so he has a good idea of what a good coach is made of.
Loves Valpo and for which it stands!!!
Wanted the job and will keep continuity within the program.
Grew up in Chicago and was a prep star back in his day and still has good connections to the city which should help him.
Is keeping Luke Gore who obviously wants to coach along side him. Luke helped majorly in Vashil's development and will do the same with Derrick Smits I'm sure.
Seems like a righteous dude.

Negatives:
Has only been an Assistant for 3 years in major college basketball.
Is only 33 which makes him one of the youngest if not youngest D1 Head Coaches in basketball but it also means he can relate to today's millenials and will probably be passed over for other jobs due to age, check that, out that in the positive category!!!

All in all, I think we just made an outstanding hire all things considered.

[covufan]

I think it is a good hire. Does he look for some experience (previous HC) to add to staff?  Would you interview Donlon or Jeter for a position?


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[VU2014]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3oz45U-GOk

[a3uge]

I think it is a good hire. Does he look for some experience (previous HC) to add to staff?  Would you interview Donlon or Jeter for a position?


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Jeter is not going to forego his massive buyout salary to be the 3rd assistant in the same league where he got fired. Same for Donlon.

What's Ron Howard up to? He'd make a great assistant - exactly the type of players Valpo would be trying to recruit: from Chicago, playing internationally and working out with NBA teams.

Maybe some former NBA player from Chicago that wants to get into coaching. Maybe Luther Head... Luther-an... Luther Head - see, it's meant to be!

[M]

I wasn't expecting much going into the press conference, but as it ended I was left with hope.  I'm looking forward to next year.  As far as make believe assistant coaches we are throwing out there, how about Cliff Levingston?

[VU2014]

Ron Howard has the record for most points in D-League history (career): 4,325. Still playing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HwR3BxnXd0

[a3uge]

Ron Howard has the record for most points in D-League history (career): 4,325. Still playing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HwR3BxnXd0

He hasn't played in the D League since 2014. He last played in N Korea, but he doesn't appear on the roster anymore:  http://www.thunders.co.kr/1516season/mobile/player/playermain.asp?. Kind of hard to find him online since there's someone a little more famous with the same name...

[valpotx]

a3uge, when I saw 'N Korea' in your statement, my initial response was 'what the hell?'  Glad to see that you probably got mixed up, and that he is in S Korea:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Howard_(basketball)

[a3uge]

a3uge, when I saw 'N Korea' in your statement, my initial response was 'what the hell?'  Glad to see that you probably got mixed up, and that he is in S Korea:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Howard_(basketball)

North Korea / South Korea... Same thing.

[agibson]

Dennis Rodman, Ron Howard - one of those guys.

[VULB#62]

One of the reasons that I think Matt will be a winner for us is that it is apparent that his DNA includes large amounts of intensity and emotion.  You can see this displayed in the photo montage from the NWI Times.  If he coaches like he played, we're going to have some fun at the ARC next season.  And the players will play as an extension of the coach.

http://www.nwitimes.com/digital/photos/college-sports/gallery-matt-lottich-through-the-years/collection_8201c4c2-decc-54e7-b5ae-860b5248fefe.html#32

[crusadermoe]

Great hire.   If you step back objectivecly without all the emotional ties to Bryce and the shot, Matt has the stronger background.  His two final fours at Stanford as a player should get recruits attention and his age and squeaky clearn image add to that.   

My one surprise is:  He comes from New Trier and Stanford but has the same aw shucks demeanor and lack of presser confidence that I got from Bryce.  Not a negative, just a surprise.   It probably validates the humility that makes him want the job at a less elite university in a less elite context. 

[VUOR63]

"His two final fours at Stanford as a player should get recruits attention and his age and squeaky clearn image add to that. "


Not to disappoint you, but Stanford has only made one final four (beat the Rhode Island team that beat Valpo in the Sweet 16).  Stanford was good while Lottich was there but never went to a Final Four while he was there.

[agibson]

And, while a solid overseas career and being a high quality player in a big conference are impressive, I have a hunch that three missing magic letters do make a difference to HS recruits.

[bbtds]

North Korea / South Korea... Same thing.

Not the same.

Yes, North Korea is the world leader in human rights.

https://news.vice.com/article/north-korea-leads-the-world-in-human-rights-says-report-by-north-korea

Kim Jung-un has the right to execute his rivals and all their relatives including their grandchildren.

[bbtds]

My one surprise is:  He comes from New Trier and Stanford but has the same aw shucks demeanor and lack of presser confidence that I got from Bryce. 

I can't agree with this. I thought he was much more polished than Bryce at his first press conference.

[wh]

The most Bryce ever opened up in 5 years of post game press conferences and Valpo Weeklys was that he wants to put the players in a position to win - and that just came recently.  . In Matt's 1st 30 minutes at the helm, he said he likes to play uptempo, shoot earlier in the shot clock when the opportunity presents itself, and save timeouts to the end of the game. In 5 years with Bryce we were never told what the team goals were - only that they had them. Within 10 minutes we learned that next years ultimate team goal will be to win 1 or 2 games in the tournament and that with our talent we should expect to go that far. He could easily have softened expectations and no one would have thought anything about it, but he didn't. All good stuff IMO.

[VU75]

Where is Ivan Vujic these days. He's an ex-Crusader and a big man coach with Big 10 and Big East experience. 

[VULB#62]

My one surprise is:  He comes from New Trier and Stanford but has the same aw shucks demeanor and lack of presser confidence that I got from Bryce.

I can't agree with this. I thought he was much more polished than Bryce at his first press conference.

Absolutely agree bbtds.  The 'aw shucks' stuff was just a little self deprecation that to me is a smooth way to get people comfortable.  Otherwise he came across as confident and forthright.  The guy's got confidence and it was recognizable.  He's also feisty.  I am looking forward to watching HIS team play next season.  I think they will play with a chip on their shoulders and take few prisoners. 

[agibson]

Where is Ivan Vujic these days. He's an ex-Crusader and a big man coach with Big 10 and Big East experience. 

Hmm.. good question. Depaul 2006 to 2008. Assistant Coach at Northwestern 2008 to 2013. Back at Depaul September 2013 as Director of Basketball Operations... and there until at least February 2015. His LinkedIn profile still lists Depaul, but he's not listed on their coaches page. Hm....

[bbtds]

It's interesting that since Coach Matt did not speak that much in public (radio & VU video production shows) that we didn't know him that well except for those who had spoken with him in person. Time will tell but it seems VU might even be in better hands than previous coaches from a certain family that has had diety status. You never know how good you could have it unless you let those in lower positions to have a chance. The same might be said about Greg Tonagel in his future coaching endeavors.

[valpopal]

Where is Ivan Vujic these days. He's an ex-Crusader and a big man coach with Big 10 and Big East experience. 

Hmm.. good question. Depaul 2006 to 2008. Assistant Coach at Northwestern 2008 to 2013. Back at Depaul September 2013 as Director of Basketball Operations... and there until at least February 2015. His LinkedIn profile still lists Depaul, but he's not listed on their coaches page. Hm....

I saw him at the ARC for the NIT games.

[agibson]

It's interesting that since Coach Matt did not speak that much in public (radio & VU video production shows) that we didn't know him that well except for those who had spoken with him in person.

Your point's well taken. But, perhaps someone can jog my memory. Was he doing that WVUR "quick few words on the way to half time" segments? Did they add those this season, and maybe only for certain (home?) games? It seems like I'd heard him on the radio a few times, but only a few.

[ValpoDad89]

Vujic left DePaul when Purnell was fired last year.

As far as Drew and Lottich are concerned, it's hard to believe it's been basically a week when the sobering but inevitable fact of him leaving was being tossed around social media but here we are,  a week to digest what transpired and while I was bummed a bit at first, definitely excited for the future of this team. Drew was a band-aid that eventually needed to be ripped off. While it's painful to pull that thing off at first, you eventually have to let the healing complete itself. His flirtations with other "big" time programs these last 3 seasons lead to this time now. If it wasn't Vandy this year it would've been someone else next and here we would've been a year later in the transgression Game. By all accounts everyone is staying including our lone fall recruit plus today we added a somewhat athletic big man. Not easy to find.

Lottich gets to put his stamp on the program now and maybe as bbtds said, the Drew legacy needed to finally go. I interacted with Bryce after a few games and was always gracious and kind. I liked the way he conducted himself on the court and his interactions with the players when they came out of games. All around good guy. But his post presser interview with the Vandy site and pursuing the job through your sister while a team you recruited was on a major run rubbed me a little bit the wrong way. He could've given a better shout to Valpo in the interview but, while seeming gracious, turned to the success of the program basically being on his family. Valpo stuck with Homer after 5 horrible seasons and gave him a chance to right his ship. This during a time when if you were fired from a low major, which Valpo was back then, you weren't going to sniff a major job for a long time if ever. Valpo took care of him and his son the best they could and I think Homer made a pretty good living coaching Valpo BBall. I appreciate him bringing Bryce along and they put Valpo BBall on the national map in 1998. But if Homer wasn't here, Bryce goes somewhere else, more than likely doesn't make "The Shot" could very well of been a role player or limited starter on a much more prominent team and never got drafted in the 1st round by the Rockets positioning himself for an 8 year NBA career where he made retirement money. A lot of assumptions there but Valpo gave back to the Drews as best they could and as I said, stuck by Homer in the early years when things were bad. Here's how bad: year 1 10-19, year 2 4-24 followed by back to back 5-22 years and finally 12-16 in year 5.

[valpotx]

Vujic would be a good guy to get to work with the post players.  That dude played with a fire and intensity, and had some good moves.