Lottich's Contract

[vok22]

Mileek McMillan played four years and graduated.

I should amend...nobody besides John Kiser has spent their whole career with Lottich. In fact, Mileek transferred further from home, to a weaker conference, from a place that was giving him starts, to get further from Lottich.

[crusadermoe]

David81 has a great point about Padilla's abilities and background.  He seems very qualified to make a lot of really tough decisions.

[wh]

I just realized something...Lottich has been here 6 years. Of the two recruiting classes that he has had that have graduated from college so far, he has had exactly ONE player that he recruited stay with him all four years and graduate from Valpo, John Kiser. That number will increase to TWO this year through three recruiting classes thanks to Brock Pappas. TWO, and not a single one who was recruited as a scholarship player. That is really all the evidence I need, regardless of the results on the court. It is obvious: players don't want to play for him, and perhaps that is why we see the carelessness and lack of effort from his players.

That just makes it utterly baffling that he can get them here in the first place. Clearly he talks a much better game than he coaches. That or it's the rest of the Valpo experience (facilities etc) in which case we're in much deeper trouble. I hope it's just a Lottich issue because that's far more fixable.

The decline of men's bb is both a coaching failure and an organizational failure, operating on parallel paths. Long ago, the university squandered an opportunity to leverage success on the court and folksy Homer Drew's national reputation into increased enrollment or engaging high level donors. I know first hand that Homer pursued this directly with the last 2 presidents and current and previous AD's. His repeated efforts received nothing more that nods and smiles.

So here we are some number of years later - success squandered, reputation destroyed, pathetic venue, an athletic department in complete disarray, communication channels shut off, fan interest in severe decline, next to no student support, minimal success in non-revenue sports, shoe string budgets, no donors lined up, no facility plans even on the table, years away from a new venue, and a hundred etc's.

But wait, don't we have a new President who said he wants competitive athletics? Don't we all? Does anyone think anything is going to change any time soon, just because he said that? This university is in financial distress. It's using a failing traditional education model that not enough people value in today's world at today's prices. If he doesn't get the community-tied nursing program in place and find a way to make online options our friend instead of listening to people who turn their nose up at it, this university could be on the scrap heap in 10 years. How would you like to go to bed at night with that on your mind? I know I wouldn't.

Meanwhile, you think all we need to do is bring a new coach into the middle of this mess that is Valparaiso University and start competing for conference championships? Don't make me laugh. Matt Lottich with zero support from anyone else, including Mark LaBarbara and staff, is going to take this program down for good or raise it up with the crap hand he's been dealt, and nothing is going to change that fact. If you're a believing Christian, you better start praying for Matt instead of wasting your time lambasting him, because we have exactly 1 more season to learn our fate. And it's all in his hands.

[NativeCheesehead]

[Just Sayin]

[oklahomamick]

The bball program was not in decline 6 years ago despite having zero help from the president and AD. 

[VUGrad1314]

I just realized something...Lottich has been here 6 years. Of the two recruiting classes that he has had that have graduated from college so far, he has had exactly ONE player that he recruited stay with him all four years and graduate from Valpo, John Kiser. That number will increase to TWO this year through three recruiting classes thanks to Brock Pappas. TWO, and not a single one who was recruited as a scholarship player. That is really all the evidence I need, regardless of the results on the court. It is obvious: players don't want to play for him, and perhaps that is why we see the carelessness and lack of effort from his players.

That just makes it utterly baffling that he can get them here in the first place. Clearly he talks a much better game than he coaches. That or it's the rest of the Valpo experience (facilities etc) in which case we're in much deeper trouble. I hope it's just a Lottich issue because that's far more fixable.

The decline of men's bb is both a coaching failure and an organizational failure, operating on parallel paths. Long ago, the university squandered an opportunity to leverage success on the court and folksy Homer Drew's national reputation into increased enrollment or engaging high level donors. I know first hand that Homer pursued this directly with the last 2 presidents and current and previous AD's. His repeated efforts received nothing more that nods and smiles.

So here we are some number of years later - success squandered, reputation destroyed, pathetic venue, an athletic department in complete disarray, communication channels shut off, fan interest in severe decline, next to no student support, minimal success in non-revenue sports, shoe string budgets, no donors lined up, no facility plans even on the table, years away from a new venue, and a hundred etc's.

But wait, don't we have a new President who said he wants competitive athletics? Don't we all? Does anyone think anything is going to change any time soon, just because he said that? This university is in financial distress. It's using a failing traditional education model that not enough people value in today's world at today's prices. If he doesn't get the community-tied nursing program in place and find a way to make online options our friend instead of listening to people who turn their nose up at it, this university could be on the scrap heap in 10 years. How would you like to go to bed at night with that on your mind? I know I wouldn't.

Meanwhile, you think all we need to do is bring a new coach into the middle of this mess that is Valparaiso University and start competing for conference championships? Don't make me laugh. Matt Lottich with zero support from anyone else, including Mark LaBarbara and staff, is going to take this program down for good or raise it up with the crap hand he's been dealt, and nothing is going to change that fact. If you're a believing Christian, you better start praying for Matt instead of wasting your time lambasting him, because we have exactly 1 more season to learn our fate. And it's all in his hands.

The bball program was not in decline 6 years ago despite having zero help from the president and AD.

Thank you Oklahomamick I was just going to say that. Yes we had the same substandard facilities the same lack of institutional support the same negative trends beginning to impact the university (albeit those issues are more pronounced now) and yet the program was fine because we had a good coach. Even if you believe that these issues are more to blame than Lottich himself do you honestly believe that we would have been as successful under Lottich as we were under Bryce? I don't think so given the fact that we are now getting beaten by the UIC's of the world these days. That shows that while we have significant institutional challenges and failings the coaching issue is way more pronounced than wh lets on. I also take issue with the idea that we haven't had success in non-revenue sports as that is patently false. Volleyball has had not one but two outstanding seasons at the MVC level Women's soccer was great this year even though they didn't win the conference and women's basketball until this season was improving dramatically. None of those are the flagship program which has struggled mightily with the transition to the MVC but there are signs of optimism in the overall athletic department. They aren't yet succeeding at the level they were in the HL but I am confident we will win a conference championship in SOMETHING soon though it probably won't be in Men's basketball until a coaching change is made. Let's not forget that while the MVC is still significantly better the HL wasn't as bad as it is now when we were there. With the right coach we can overcome our institutional and financial challenges right now we do not have the right coach and so we are struggling. Will we find the right one next time? There's no guarantee but we've seen what we have and it is not good so it seems prudent if we care about succeeding in men's basketball to try and see if we can find someone who can do better. We don't have to win every year. Even being a top 3-4 program every year in a league like the MVC could get us NIT consideration and that would be good for a baseline if that ends up being the program's floor we can call that successful but we need to be more competitive than we've been and Lottich has proven that he is not the man to get us to that level. You can acknowledge the institutional issues all you want and even if we agree on that (and we do) the facts are still on the side of the Lottich skeptics. I'm sorry it's just reality.

[wh]

• Speaking of the parallel path of organizational failure, will the band show up today, or will we hear a recorded version of the National Anthem through the broken PA system?
• Will our PA announcer dare take his mask off during player announcements so we might have a fighting chance to understand anything he's saying?
• Will we have to go to the Terre Haute Trib Star to find a postgame story?
• Will the upstairs concession stand be open?

Proudly putting our best foot forward! WE ARE THE VALLEY!

[usc4valpo]

Valpo's financial situation was not as bad 6 years ago. Don't get me wrong - Lottich has underachieved as coach and the results show it. but I agree with wh -the university blew it not promoting and supporting basketball stronger. Well, now we are leaching on as a member of the MVC rather than being a leader.

Valparaiso needs to take a holistic approach and revisit their identity and vision, because honestly I have no clue.

[vu72]

Long ago, the university squandered an opportunity to leverage success on the court

Matt Lottich with zero support from anyone else, including Mark LaBarbara and staff,

Wow! wh, did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?  For all of you guys who wanted Valpo to build a new basketball facility after the run in 1998, let's take a small trip back in history!

The facts are that in 1998 the ARC was only a little over 10 years old while we had a library that was a joke (ground breaking 2002) and a union (planning for a new union began in 2001)that was way to small for all the student activities. These took all the dollars out of a very small alumni base at the time.  Would ever more demanding students come to a place with dorms without air-conditioning, cramped student activity spaces or a library drawing national scorn?
Then there's the new Science hall which replaced Neil's which had snow blowing through its' halls on bad days.
And then there is the endowment. Given what colleges are facing and will face, could Valpo survive without the $300 million commitment?  As I recall, St. Joes had some nice, newer athletic facilities.  How did that work out for them?
Padilla has said that he favors building a new or renovated basketball arena but that will not happen until we all have a brief "rest" from the current drive.  It's all about money and/or the desire of those with cash to give it toward athletics.
So, would a new basketball arena built, say, in 2003, have drawn more students than a new Union or Library? I think not.

As for the insults you throw at Mark LaBarbera and staff, really?  Think of all the changes and improvements to athletic facilities since he arrived. Heck, Brown Field was still grass!  The stands have been moved to acommodate a new track, lights have been added, the tennis complex and softball fields have been added on his watch, the baseball field is now nearing MVC standards, broadcast equipment and abilities have now been added to softball and baseball let alone the very large cost of adding those to the ARC. Oh, and basketball wise, under his watch we now have a first class air-conditioned practice facility.  I could go on.  The AD is NOT the basketball AD, he is the AD, period.

Remember, under his guidance Valpo has moved up TWO conferences.  If you still wish to belittle Mark, just walk around the campus and think back to what he inherited and where the University might be if we had a now thirty year old basketball facility but no union or library or Science Hall or an on campus softball field or no track or no lights at Brown or no tennis courts or no Beacon Hall.
We all want more but the priorities have been focused on survival (the endowment drive) and academics all the while making meaningful improvements to all sports.

President Padilla has indicated that the next drive will focus on Nursing, Business and Athletics--if he has his way. 

In spite of our limitations, we are doing better than some teams who have been in the Valley for decades!  We are moving at a pace that makes you unhappy.  Sorry about that, but those us  invested in Valpo as an institution, perhaps better understand the history of aging buildings, some of which were build in the 1800's when we were students!  It is a never ending struggle for small, private institutions, with small alumni bases. I won't bother with further comments on this subject.

[justducky]

• Speaking of the parallel path of organizational failure, will the band show up today, or will we hear a recorded version of the National Anthem through the broken PA system?

Unfortunately for us, listening to the recorded version of the National Anthem played through the broken PA system might be the high point of the entire evening! 

[humbleopinion]

• Will we have to go to the Terre Haute Trib Star to find a postgame story?

From what Paul wrote in his introduction to the The Victory Bell, you can just go to to his site to get game coverage without even supporting his efforts financially.

https://thevictorybell.substack.com/

[usc4valpo]

Good points gang. Lottich hasn't performed and extending his contract based one one semi successful MVC tourney run at the onset of COVID was a dumb decision.  But the whole ecosystem needs to be fixed - apathy is back to the Tom Smith era, and 1200 at a game, no pep band - and the quality of competition has improved!

Eating $400k to improve the situation despite the financial struggles going on at Valpo should be considered, especially for the most important and recognized athletic program. The basketball program overall has done more for Valpo than vice versa, and it's time and long overdue that the university gives more love to the program and take an action in the right direction. Quit taking the Neville Chamberlain approach in decision making and get proactive!

[JD24]

Thank you Oklahomamick I was just going to say that. Yes we had the same substandard facilities the same lack of institutional support the same negative trends beginning to impact the university (albeit those issues are more pronounced now) and yet the program was fine because we had a good coach. Even if you believe that these issues are more to blame than Lottich himself do you honestly believe that we would have been as successful under Lottich as we were under Bryce? I don't think so given the fact that we are now getting beaten by the UIC's of the world these days. That shows that while we have significant institutional challenges and failings the coaching issue is way more pronounced than wh lets on. I also take issue with the idea that we haven't had success in non-revenue sports as that is patently false. Volleyball has had not one but two outstanding seasons at the MVC level Women's soccer was great this year even though they didn't win the conference and women's basketball until this season was improving dramatically. None of those are the flagship program which has struggled mightily with the transition to the MVC but there are signs of optimism in the overall athletic department. They aren't yet succeeding at the level they were in the HL but I am confident we will win a conference championship in SOMETHING soon though it probably won't be in Men's basketball until a coaching change is made. Let's not forget that while the MVC is still significantly better the HL wasn't as bad as it is now when we were there. With the right coach we can overcome our institutional and financial challenges right now we do not have the right coach and so we are struggling. Will we find the right one next time? There's no guarantee but we've seen what we have and it is not good so it seems prudent if we care about succeeding in men's basketball to try and see if we can find someone who can do better. We don't have to win every year. Even being a top 3-4 program every year in a league like the MVC could get us NIT consideration and that would be good for a baseline if that ends up being the program's floor we can call that successful but we need to be more competitive than we've been and Lottich has proven that he is not the man to get us to that level. You can acknowledge the institutional issues all you want and even if we agree on that (and we do) the facts are still on the side of the Lottich skeptics. I'm sorry it's just reality.

Just curious if you type on a phone which has no ability to create a paragraph. Very tough to read.

[Just Sayin]

Good points gang. Lottich hasn't performed and extending his contract based one one semi successful MVC tourney run at the onset of COVID was a dumb decision.  But the whole ecosystem needs to be fixed - apathy is back to the Tom Smith era, and 1200 at a game, no pep band - and the quality of competition has improved!

Eating $400k to improve the situation despite the financial struggles going on at Valpo should be considered, especially for the most important and recognized athletic program. The basketball program overall has done more for Valpo than vice versa, and it's time and long overdue that the university gives more love to the program and take an action in the right direction. Quit taking the Neville Chamberlain approach in decision making and get proactive!

[Just Sayin]

• Speaking of the parallel path of organizational failure, will the band show up today, or will we hear a recorded version of the National Anthem through the broken PA system?
• Will our PA announcer dare take his mask off during player announcements so we might have a fighting chance to understand anything he's saying?
• Will we have to go to the Terre Haute Trib Star to find a postgame story?
• Will the upstairs concession stand be open?

Proudly putting our best foot forward! WE ARE THE VALLEY!

Nice deflection to avoid having to deal soberly with the most important problem with VU Men's Basketball Program.

[wh]

• Speaking of the parallel path of organizational failure, will the band show up today, or will we hear a recorded version of the National Anthem through the broken PA system?
• Will our PA announcer dare take his mask off during player announcements so we might have a fighting chance to understand anything he's saying?
• Will we have to go to the Terre Haute Trib Star to find a postgame story?
• Will the upstairs concession stand be open?

Proudly putting our best foot forward! WE ARE THE VALLEY!

Nice deflection to avoid having to deal soberly with the most important problem with VU Men's Basketball Program.

I can walk and chew gum at the same time. My mind can examine multiple rabbit holes simultaneously, including the obvious one you have your head stuck in.

[VU2014]

I would love to see Roger become the next HC at Valpo but that's not going to happen.

He'd a homerun hire for Illinois State.

https://twitter.com/coachingchanges/status/1491220710408306688?s=21

[vok22]

I feel like we were told he turned down the Valpo job when Bryce left. If that is true and he turned down Valpo when we were in a much better position, would sure be a gut punch if he took the Il state job.

[Pgmado]

My two cents. Roger didn't want to be a head coach in 2016. He wanted to go to a Power 5 and see how he could do with all the recruiting resources, and he's done well. Vandy recruiting classes were stacked. Gonzaga obv has been stacked. It's six years later and maybe he wants to be a head coach now. He has family connections to Illinois State. To frame this as he chose Illinois State over Valpo would be a little off.

[VU2014]

Paul, can we get an article at The Victory Bell taking a very objective look at Lottich's job security? Seriously. It's fair to wonder at this point and absolutely fairly to have thoughts about a coaching change after 6 years as the head coach with not much recent success.

1) a recent university President change over the summer and the President has stated openly he expects us to be in the hunt every year and that we can't be a doormat. Have we ever been in the hunt under Lottich? Or have we been closer to a doormat? President Padilla isn't afraid to make tough decisions right away. He took on the name change stuff right off the bat in his tenure.

2) the AD that hired him Mark LaBarbera, will be retiring in June. The new AD might want to pick his or her own Coach.

With Mark LaBarbea retiring I highly doubt the new AD will fire a Coach in the first couple months of his tenure and I'm sure the timing of the retirement give a one year window for the next AD to evaluate Lottich.

I feel it's almost certain Lottich will get the 2022-23 season at this point. But like I've said before it probably depends on the contract. But Lottich's days could numbered if he doesn't  turn out a contender next season.

[elephtheria47]

We can't and don't want to be doing a coaching search in June. If it happens it needs to be in April, maybe beginning of May, when good candidates are still available. By June the coaching carousel has stopped (except for NBA moves) and players are on campus for summer session and doing individual workouts. Hard time to find a coach. Maybe MLB will have a new coach and contract in place before a new AD comes in so they don't have to worry about it for a few years?

[NativeCheesehead]

I echo others concern about the timeline, but what has me optimistic is the use of a search committee for the AD. It would be very easy (not cheap, but easy) to do the same for MBHC. Could come up with 2-3 good candidates and let MLB, in conjunction with Padilla, pick from there.

The new AD will have some major issues to work on when they get here. Let whoever it is not have to worry about the coach for a couple of seasons. Fix the ARC, the game day experience, and student engagement. If the new coach works out, great. If not, then the new boss can have a nice shiny new product to pitch to candidates a few years down the road.

[oklahomamick]

What is a bigger concern?

Hiring a new AD or hiring a new coach?   

We went 0-1 hiring outside of drews family tree.  We can't afford to go 0-2 and we can't afford to hire a dud AD either.   

[elephtheria47]

Mick,

My first call would be to the Bears to see how they just pulled off hiring both at the same time






(And then don't do that).