It’s time to fire Lottich

[oklahomamick]

Knew this was coming 5 years ago.  Doesn't make it any better. 

Just wish the people in charge didn't make that contract extension.  It was a knee jerk reaction just like hiring a young guy who had never been head coach (not even ymca or boy club) immediately after NCAAT apprearences and conference championship appearances. 

Our stock was high. Now our stock is low.

[valporun]

Looking at the coaching staff since Lottich was named HC in 2016, the only assistant from Day 1 still there is Luke Gore, and Gore has been a part of the program since I was a student in 2003. He came as a grad assistant. Bowen was an assistant to Homer at the time, then left to be a D-II head coach down the line, before coming back, and Rob Holloway is on his second go-around with VU. I don't want a coaching change happening now, because I don't trust the three assistants to do anything good with interim attached to their name. I also don't feel that firing the coach now does any great change to how the team plays once we're fully MVC play. At this point, Lottich stays until the season is over, and once the season ends, AD Small will have his exit interviews, which most likely would result in going in a new direction.

The only reason why President Padilla and AD Small didn't make any change is because it wouldn't have improved the program, and it would have cost more to buyout Lottich than the University would have been wise to take on, when the finances are already being questioned, after students not returning since the pandemic started.

Do I want Coach Lottich replaced? Yes, but only when the season is over. Doing it now wouldn't improve alumni sending in money because the University couldn't hire whomever they wanted until after the season. The change wouldn't improve donations from alums, regardless of income level, until a new head coach could be named appropriately.

[vu84v2]

valporun - Perhaps I am wrong, but I don't see Valpo donors being the same as donors to schools like USC, Texas, Kansas, etc. I don't see Valpo donors, to any meaningful degree, donating lots of money to the basketball program unless it is winning.

[valporun]

valporun - Perhaps I am wrong, but I don't see Valpo donors being the same as donors to schools like USC, Texas, Kansas, etc. I don't see Valpo donors, to any meaningful degree, donating lots of money to the basketball program unless it is winning.

The schools you named have big business or oil names primarily backing their athletics. Valpo doesn't have that because they have never felt that they needed ONE specific name to pay for an entire department, like a USC, Texas, or Kansas does to survive in their POWER 5 settings.

[vu84v2]

valporun - Perhaps I am wrong, but I don't see Valpo donors being the same as donors to schools like USC, Texas, Kansas, etc. I don't see Valpo donors, to any meaningful degree, donating lots of money to the basketball program unless it is winning.

The schools you named have big business or oil names primarily backing their athletics. Valpo doesn't have that because they have never felt that they needed ONE specific name to pay for an entire department, like a USC, Texas, or Kansas does to survive in their POWER 5 settings.

Not sure that I agree with your argument. I am sure that Valpo would welcome one of more "big names" to be the primary/lead donor for anything that increases Valpo's value (including athletics). An example of this is Donald Fites being the lead (and name) donor for the expanded engineering building. I just think that Valpo has far fewer major donors and that those donors are very judicious in their spending.

[AlaskaCrusader19]

valporun - Perhaps I am wrong, but I don't see Valpo donors being the same as donors to schools like USC, Texas, Kansas, etc. I don't see Valpo donors, to any meaningful degree, donating lots of money to the basketball program unless it is winning.

The schools you named have big business or oil names primarily backing their athletics. Valpo doesn't have that because they have never felt that they needed ONE specific name to pay for an entire department, like a USC, Texas, or Kansas does to survive in their POWER 5 settings.

Why would a bigger athletic department only need one person backing the department financially? P5 schools have a lot more than one booster. Look at Purdue, whose athletic department gets close to $15 million in donations alone each year.

[VU2014]

I saw these tweets the last 24 hours. If we're having these great individual performances/achievements, why are we are still consistently a losing team? What does that say about the head coach?

It is blatantly obvious we as a school need to move on from the Coach Lottich era. He just is a high character man but not a great head coach. For the sake of the program, athletics department and the school please make a change. If it's a matter of $ considerations & not being able to afford a buyout, you owe it to the fans and alumni to communicate this. This can be done in an informal way by off the record speaking with Paul Oren and him telling the fans what the real issues are as to why we can't make a change yet.

Here's hoping 2023 brings the Valpo Basketball program new hope and new life. It's time for a new beginning.

https://twitter.com/toddickow/status/1605776918422470659?s=46&t=c2iIH7KaYFh6ItWVxizlJA

https://twitter.com/brandonvickrey/status/1608878273580113921?s=46&t=c2iIH7KaYFh6ItWVxizlJA

[oklahomamick]

Just wait until Lottich gets his own players in here.  He's a good recruiter.  He's also unlucky with injuries.  We are almost there.

[justducky]

Just wait until Lottich gets his own players in here.  He's a good recruiter.  He's also unlucky with injuries.  We are almost there.

Mediocrity is right around the corner but it is staying pretty well hidden! 

[usc4valpo]

Do you really think the Valpo leaders are not convinced that Lottich is their coach? Why not move so Valpo can get a start on a coaching search? Or, perhaps it is happening implicitly?

There is going to be a change, no way Valpo would consider keeping the flagship athletic program status quo.

[oklahomamick]

Still shocked some of you thought Lottich was the right guy. 

I think that's more unbelievable than an AD hiring the 4th assistant after a 4 straight HL championships and a NiT runner up championship. 

Hasn't been said and I hate to be the one.  Gore probably needs to go as well.  Nice guy. 

Will be interesting to see where he lands and in what capacity.  The job he lands will tell you what the professionals in his business think of him.

[usc4valpo]

Observing Lottich's frustrated expressions, he may be waiting or even hoping to be relieved of his role.

[Dr. T]

As a VU graduate and former season ticket holder, I was all-in as a Valpo B-ball fan for around 15 years. I remember the Butler v. Valpo games ... the big shot vs. Green Bay ... the Alec Peters era ... etc.

When Bryce was at the helm, I couldn't be prouder to be a VU graduate and a fan of this program. Understandably, Bryce's tenure came to a close. I supported the team under Matt's leadership for a few years and kept my season tickets. I even bought extra seats and would make a point of being hospitable in bringing family & friends with us. Each year, we heard the same remarks about it being a process: guys being young, the injury bug hitting folks, shots not falling, legs being weak, and the infamous comment about players needing to do their laundry. It was as it was ... take it or leave it. I felt invested enough to keep the course & renew anyhow. It felt like the "right" thing to do as a means of supporting my alma mater & the Valpo community, which I love.

Once COVID hit, my season tickets weren't an option as fans were limited, etc. - it provided me an opportunity to reevaluate. ESPN+ made it convenient to watch the games. Last year, I didn't make it to any games, but I watched most streamed games. I finally made it back to the ARC for a game this week.

Idk what to say other than ... I no longer felt connected to the program. As an outsider, it felt stale. No identity. That could be due to the students being gone for the break and my poor attitude. However, I no longer cared about the loss or the officiating. I didn't see most season ticket holders I'd talk with regularly (again, perhaps that was a coincidence, and they're usually there).

In short, I wish nothing but the best to Matt. He is such a good person and may be a great coach. Regardless of who coaches this team moving forward, I'm hopeful that the culture surrounding this program will shift again. I hope the new AD can make substantive changes in how this marquee program can reclaim its charm and luster. I'm optimistic that I will *want* to be there and respond to the mailings differently with a resounding "Yes."

Go VU!

[beacons23]

I was at the game last night-true that there was no crowd but school still on break and most local schools are back in session
My kids enjoy going to the game so we attend
Paid for upstairs seats but moved down...it was a good game despite the loss

[tiny707]

It is time.

[historyman]

It is time.

[VULB#62]

Ya know, everyone, a yet to be discussed element of many, if not all, coaching changes beyond the HC salary issues (and the obvious former coach severance/buyout), is what other contractual incenti$$$ives go into the final arrangement.

In today's coaching world, it is not unusual for the top candidate to squeeze promises out of the final negotiations — something, I'm sure MLB avoided by going with Matt.  First up is usually new assistants and their usually increased salaries.  Then there might be stuff like office redos, team/arena facility upgrades, additional support staff, (I'm not even gonna go into performance bonuses, cars, expanded recruiting travel budgets, yaddah, yaddah.).  Coaches want commitment and evidence that the school is gonna back them. These are the unseen aspects of hiring a game-changing new coach.

Is Valpo prepared for this as well?  Or might Valpo figure they can just go into this situation like it did with the change to the MVC - clueless about the real financial ramifications? Bigger school booster clubs usually are relied on to underwrite a lot of these ancillary things. Valpo has no such thing.

Just one more factor to consider about a coaching change. Yikes!

[valpopal]

Coaches want commitment and evidence that the school is gonna back them.

This is one of the reasons I believe a prime candidate for this position would likely have to be someone with whom Charles Small already has developed a friendly connection and a history of trust, perhaps even an individual who already has worked with him.

[Dr. T]

I sincerely hope the tone of this statement is drenched in sarcasm.

[AlaskaCrusader19]

https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/humanity-on-the-hot-seat

This is a very nice article from Paul on the situation with part two coming tomorrow.

[vu72]

https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/humanity-on-the-hot-seat

This is a very nice article from Paul on the situation with part two coming tomorrow.

I don't you should be posting a subscription based article without Paul's permission.

[valpopal]

Since Paul took the unusual step of placing this article in an open to the public status for all to read after sitting on it in his drafts for three weeks—and considering its content and tone—I think this is close to the metaphorical dam breaking.

[sliman]

Noted at the bottom of Part I.  Let's honor the request:

Part II of Humanity on the Hot Seat will run on Friday morning and will only be available to paid subscribers.

[valpopal]

Since Paul took the unusual step of placing this article in an open to the public status for all to read after sitting on it in his drafts for three weeks—and considering its content and tone—I think this is close to the metaphorical dam breaking.

To show respect for Paul, who would appreciate the comparison, in journalism this is known as "the Cronkite moment."

[AlaskaCrusader19]

https://www.thevictorybell.com/p/humanity-on-the-hot-seat

This is a very nice article from Paul on the situation with part two coming tomorrow.

I don't you should be posting a subscription based article without Paul's permission.

It's just the link. If it was behind a paywall, it would still make you sign in to read it. This one was free to anyone to read.