Why Matt is a Good Coach

[Just Sayin]

Perhaps I'm not seeing it and therefore would like to know from others why Matt is a good coach. What did he do against Toledo that proved he is a good coach?  I'm not talking about recruiting but his good qualities during the games played. What are his coaching strengths?  Forget the weaknesses. Seriously interested in what others may be seeing that I'm missing.     

[wh]

It's a fair question, but maybe a little premature. Until we see all the talent he recruited (and he did recruit a ton of it) on the court together, it's hardly fair to compare his coaching ability to his recruiting ability. I don't think it's a stretch to say we're missing 3 of our 6 best players. I can't think of a team in the MVC that wouldn't be severely hampered under similar circumstances.

[Valpo Joe]

Perhaps I'm not seeing it and therefore would like to know from others why Matt is a good coach. What did he do against Toledo that proved he is a good coach?  I'm not talking about recruiting but his good qualities during the games played. What are his coaching strengths?  Forget the weaknesses. Seriously interested in what others may be seeing that I'm missing.     

You're not seeing it because it's not there to be seen -YET.  SLOW starts and NO Finish.  Live and die by the 3, No D. 0-3. Who thinks he's a good coach? Good coach, Coach K,  Bill Belichick, Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Red Auerbach, John Wooden, Pat Riley, Mike Ditka, Homer Drew, Gene Bartow all winners. "Door Matt" not YET.

[valpospartan]

Perhaps I'm not seeing it and therefore would like to know from others why Matt is a good coach. What did he do against Toledo that proved he is a good coach?  I'm not talking about recruiting but his good qualities during the games played. What are his coaching strengths?  Forget the weaknesses. Seriously interested in what others may be seeing that I'm missing.     

You're not seeing it because it's not there to be seen -YET.  SLOW starts and NO Finish.  Live and die by the 3, No D. 0-3. Who thinks he's a good coach? Good coach, Coach K, Tom Izzo, Bill Belichick, Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Red Auerbach, John Wooden, Pat Riley, Mike Ditka,  Homer Drew, Gene Bartow all winners. "Door Matt" not YET.

Joe, I added one name to your list of winning coaches.

[elephtheria47]

The annual questions are happening already. Valpo admin, please make them stop. Matt, strictly in my opinion, is not going to get the job done here. Another season. More excuses.

[Valpo Joe]

Good add - TOM IZZO  Something about a GOOD COACH even PRETTY GOOD COACHES they WIN  When "Door Matt" gets above .500 we'll say he's OK COACH - and yes I'm counting the two D2 failures. 0-3 Another metric would be - break into the <100 Ranked D1 teams and become a PRETTY GOOD COACH.  You got the talent coach - get your skill book out and use it.

[oklahomamick]

43-47 is the MVC......

[wh]

43-47 is the MVC......

One thing you can take to the bank on every team since Matt became head coach are debilitating injuries to key players that linger on forever and kill any chance we have to build momentum and win consistently. 

'16-17 AP goes down 2 games before the end of the regular season. We were 23-6 at the time, had beaten MVC champion Missouri State at their place, had the conf. regular season wrapped up, and were heavily favored to win the conf. tournament. We lost our last 3 games, including an upset 1st round conf. tournament loss to go 24-9 and lose out on going to the Dance. BTW we had already overcome the season ending loss of Jubril only 9 games in.

'17-18 we start out 8-0. Then we lose Burton to grades. Then we lose Tevonn for 4 games, losing 3. He comes back but his back issue lingers for the rest of the season. We finish 15-16.

'18-19 Micah Bradford plays 3 min. in 1 game before losing him for the season due to a lingering back problem. After starting conf. play, we lose Ryan for 13 games. We were never the same. 13-18

'19-20 we lose Ryan again - this time for 17 games. After finally getting Ryan back, JFL gets mono, misses 2 games, and comes back while still not 100% and leads us to the conf. tournament championship game. Final record 19-16. BTW only Eron played in all 35 games due to a bevy of misc. injuries and illnesses.

'20-21 we lose Nick Robinson for 20 games, Morgan for 13 games, and Connor for 10 games, Emil for 26 games, and Lorange for 20. Then add in the lingering effect of Mileek's 50 pound Hostess Twinkee weight gain.

'21-22 The way this season is starting off with Ben and Connor already injured and out, who knows? We've already lost 2 exhibition games and Toledo, all of which we would have won.

This trend is absurdly ridiculous. It defies all odds, and it never ends. Maybe we need an exorcist, and I'm only half kidding.

Anyone who says this is no different than what all teams go through (not in a given season, but over a 5 year span) show your evidence. Rest assured, there won't be any takers. Also, I hope no one says Jubril got what he deserved. That was one of the biggest miscarriages of justice I've ever seen.

[mj]

Matt hasn't shown any ability to adapt his game plan when injuries occur or circumstances chance. We have to figure out new ways to win when key players go down.

[VU0331]

Energy giver, hungry to learn, knows people.. brings in good people as players and coaches.

[Just Sayin]

Energy giver, hungry to learn, knows people.. brings in good people as players and coaches.

No one disputes that. What are his coaching strengths?

[Valpo Joe]

One thing you can take to the bank on every team since Matt became head coach are debilitating injuries to key players that linger on forever and kill any chance we have to build momentum and win consistently. 

'16-17 AP goes down 2 games before the end of the regular season. We were 23-6 at the time, had beaten MVC champion Missouri State at their place, had the conf. regular season wrapped up, and were heavily favored to win the conf. tournament. We lost our last 3 games, including an upset 1st round conf. tournament loss to go 24-9 and lose out on going to the Dance. BTW we had already overcome the season ending loss of Jubril only 9 games in.

'17-18 we start out 8-0. Then we lose Burton to grades. Then we lose Tevonn for 4 games, losing 3. He comes back but his back issue lingers for the rest of the season. We finish 15-16.

'18-19 Micah Bradford plays 3 min. in 1 game before losing him for the season due to a lingering back problem. After starting conf. play, we lose Ryan for 13 games. We were never the same. 13-18

'19-20 we lose Ryan again - this time for 17 games. After finally getting Ryan back, JFL gets mono, misses 2 games, and comes back while still not 100% and leads us to the conf. tournament championship game. Final record 19-16. BTW only Eron played in all 35 games due to a bevy of misc. injuries and illnesses.

'20-21 we lose Nick Robinson for 20 games, Morgan for 13 games, and Connor for 10 games, Emil for 26 games, and Lorange for 20. Then add in the lingering effect of Mileek's 50 pound Hostess Twinkee weight gain.

'21-22 The way this season is starting off with Ben and Connor already injured and out, who knows? We've already lost 2 exhibition games and Toledo, all of which we would have won.

This trend is absurdly ridiculous. It defies all odds, and it never ends. Maybe we need an exorcist, and I'm only half kidding.

Anyone who says this is no different than what all teams go through (not in a given season, but over a 5 year span) show your evidence. Rest assured, there won't be any takers. Also, I hope no one says Jubril got what he deserved. That was one of the biggest miscarriages of justice I've ever seen.



[/quote]
Now it's if only 3 of their top 6 players could play we'd be a contender!!! Give me a Freakin' Beacon Break.  Adjust - adjust - adjust or continue to be would've, could've, should've 

43-47 is the MVC......

[oklahomamick]

I'm going to Lottich's wiki page and putting notes next to the records saying "this person was hurt and this person was hurt".   Then emailing the AD to see if he cant do the same on the athletic website. 

[AlaskaCrusader19]

As fun as it was, I fear that the run to the Arch Madness final in 2020 might come back to bite VU here. Lottich's contract extension more or less ensures that he'll be at VU for a while. This has never been a school any too quick to fire coaches for poor performance.

[vuny98]

You know who was a really good coach? Bryce Drew.

You know what happened to Bryce's Vanderbilt team that looked like they would be really good once their star player got hurt early in the season? Winless in the SEC. Not to say all of Matt's shortcomings are due to injury or to deflect blame, but WH has a point that it certainly has not helped and prevented some level of progress.

Now, is Matt as good as Bryce? He'll no he isn't. But he's also recruited well and shown some level of success and improvement year to year. Now I want and expect more from Valpo, and hopefully we will get there. If this year goes south, yeah I'll say it's time for a change. But I also don't want to be Vanderbilt / Cleveland Browns that cuts a coach after any issues. So I am glad we have given Matt this long. Hopefully it works out.

[oklahomamick]

The run to the MVC final and giving Lottich an extension was a horrible decision. 


It's not like Lottich had suiters calling his agent. 

[valpo64]

Interesting comments from some of you in that even when Matt does have some success that still isn't good enough.  And I have heard enough about Bryce Drew ...if he is such an outstanding coach he would not still be on the bench at Grand Canyon.

[valpolaw]

Minus the arch madness run, which I'm not convinced wasn't just luck, what success has Lottich had here? He has made us mediocre and made us accustomed to moral victories. 

[mj]

Fire Lottich. Hire Jake Diebler.

[a3uge]

Judging a coach on THREE games was short sided. They also got blown out in the championship game to a pretty mediocre team. I cannot believe people say he's recruited well after going from Broekhoff to Peters. JFL is the closest "star" the team has had and he's nowhere close to that caliber. Which players are great recruits? Edwards? Give me a break. He'd be E Victor Nickerson minutes on the decent Horizon teams.

[valpo64]

Guessing and speculation are not a good way to judge a coach's ability to coach.  The number of transfers that UIC played gives no  indication of how many minutes they played and their respective contributions to their team's success.  But we DO know that our transfers play a prominent role and we are still missing our best returning player and perhaps the best transfer(Kobe).

[wh]

I'm guessing Matt makes promises to recruits about starting and playing  time which a good coach should never do.

That's what unethical coaches do, JS. It's manipulative and dishonest. More than anything else, Matt is a man of honesty and integrity. He would never do that intentionally, or unintentionally. Remember what he has stated publicly that his primary mission as coach is to develop and mold student athletes under his tutelage into men of high purpose and character.

[Just Sayin]

I'm guessing Matt makes promises to recruits about starting and playing  time which a good coach should never do.

That's what unethical coaches do, JS. It's manipulative and dishonest. More than anything else, Matt is a man of honesty and integrity. He would never do that intentionally, or unintentionally. Remember what he has stated publicly that his primary mission as coach is to develop and mold student athletes under his tutelage into men of high purpose and character.

I was guessing, you are certain. Neither one of us knows for sure.

[mj]

...his primary mission as coach is to develop and mold student athletes under his tutelage into men of high purpose and character. win 

[bb33]

I don't think it is right to speculate that Matt is making promises.  I don't think he would based on the little I know him, except maybe that the facilities would be improved.

JFL left because he was influenced to think playing at DePaul would be better for his career.  I would say that was shortsighted.   He is a small fish in a big pond in the Big East.  And Depaul is currently irrelevant in Chicago.  Kiethier is now a big fish in a medium pond.  He is going to have a monster season.  I think he will be a better player for us than Ben. (If not, then watch out Valley). He was a great recruit for Matt.

I am going to refrain from passing judgement until all our pieces are on the floor.   I am an optimistic person by nature, but even I am skeptical about the season and Matt.  But the only way to continue to enthusiastically support this team, which they need, is to hold on to hope that things will come around.  It is still November.