What will the decision be?

[David81]

The doom and gloom here reflects how the sharp decline of the MBB program and some genuine challenges facing VU have dovetailed. However, other than the immediate $$$ question of whether Valpo can afford to buy out its current HC, the issues can be somewhat distinguished and compartmentalized.

Overall, I think that avoiding rash decisions is important right now. Like people, institutions can make bad decisions under the spotlight of stress and anxiety.

So....for the MBB coach decision, I don't think that silence on Monday, or Wednesday, or next Friday, is necessarily a bad thing. If folks need a short bit of time to assess, that's OK. If negotiations are taking place, they can easily eat up a week.

[usc4valpo]

Crusader05 - a change needs to be made as the coach is not successful. Almost every division 1 basketball program would remove their coach is they have proven to be successful after a sufficient period. If we are cash strapped in a situation like this, then we are not cut out for Div. 1 basketball. Unless ML shows promise and should not be removed - but I hear the crickets for that.

[justducky]

So....for the MBB coach decision, I don't think that silence on Monday, or Wednesday, or next Friday, is necessarily a bad thing. If folks need a short bit of time to assess, that's OK. If negotiations are taking place, they can easily eat up a week.

I kind of agree but I wouldn't do this in complete silence. Let it drift out that discussions with players, coaches, and administrators are going on behind every closed door. Add that the future course of Valpo basketball is the topic. While we try to interpret the meaningless double-talk they get their extra week to sort out their mess.    Meanwhile we can try to keep our minds from turning to jello by interacting on this forum.

[Dr. T]

What's there left to assess? Why would they need more time so as not to act emotionally? It's not like this hasn't been a year-over-year problem that's yet to provide tangible evidence of there being sustained growth or improvement. They're not progressing nicely in any way, shape, or fashion.

[nkvu]

I think that if Matt is out it will be announced by the end of next week. If we hear nothing by then I expect he will serve out his contract, and we will continue to suck until it ends. We are close but haven't quite hit bottom yet. If they were serious about letting Matt go, they would have worked out how to go about it already.  Give it a week to work out the details, then announce it.  Personally I will be surprised if they were to bite the bullet and buy out his contract given the university's financial situation, but I expect we will find out relatively quickly.   With Matt if Krikke and King come back we might win 10 games next year. If one or the other don't, I think the high side could be 4 or five wins.  Then we will have hit rock bottom.  With a new coach, who knows, but I'm afraid we will have to see rock bottom before we see a change.

[David81]

What's there left to assess? Why would they need more time so as not to act emotionally? It's not like this hasn't been a year-over-year problem that's yet to provide tangible evidence of there being sustained growth or improvement. They're not progressing nicely in any way, shape, or fashion.

Were it not for the controversy over the art sales, a coaching buyout might not be as dicey a situation. But to say you can afford to pay a terminated coach the equivalent of a small academic department's worth of faculty salaries for one or two years, while claiming that (1) layoffs and pay cuts were necessary; and (2) you have to sell the art museum's most valuable works to pay for capital improvements, isn't a very good look to already demoralized faculty and staff, in particular. So...responses from all major constituencies need to evaluated before making a final decision.

And let's not overlook that if a change is in the offing, Matt Lottich may need a few days to talk with family, review/negotiate terms, and possibly meet with an attorney/financial/tax advisor to ensure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed, etc. Even if his best efforts fell short of the mark, he deserves to be treated with basic courtesy.

[justducky]

With Matt if Krikke and King come back we might win 10 games next year. If one or the other don't, I think the high side could be 4 or five wins.  Then we will have hit rock bottom.  With a new coach, who knows, but I'm afraid we will have to see rock bottom before we see a change.

As a VU basketball fan I don't have an unbroken bone left in my body. But that is fine because our ER administrators are about to assure me that I can be admitted and treated just as soon as the old janitorial contracts expire. As a near lifeless gob of jello, I'm feeling better already. 

[usc4valpo]

Valpo is trying to stay afloat by selling artwork. How much impact does this really have on faculty morale?
- does Valpo need upgrades on residential facilities to remain competitive?
- does Valpo need to pay competitive salaries to faculty members?
- how important is the flagship athletic program at Valpo? If it is, how do we address it?
- what is the importance of Valpo providing degrees in art, theatre and creative writing to a selective few?
- should Valpo focus on strengths and double down on those instead of trying to meet everyone's needs?
-  if Valpo cannot grow or even sustain operations, what is the purpose of keeping art?

Time to prioritize gang. And BTW, to the theatre and creative writing majors marching to the presidents office over the possible art sale, there's nothing negative about being portrayed as a tech school. MIT is a technical school, and they also have outstanding humanities education.

[VUGrad1314]

I really hate to be this person especially since I understand and respect the reasoning behind the rebranding and the mascot change but if our financial situation was THAT dire then why in God's name did we spend all that money on the rebranding when we could have spent it to actually hire a decent coach and potentially advance the program and the university forward in ways that would have a greater impact than the rebranding? It was just such short-sighted thinking to do it now even if it is right or justifiable on principle.

USC4Valpo

Yes I think at this point if it's really that bad the only way forward is to either double down on Valpo's strengths and pour money into those or to try to replicate what Gonzaga did insofar as that is even possible. Or both if it is somehow possible to do both. One route is significantly more risky than the other. As a risk averse person I know the route I would choose. It just sucks that we really are what many MVC fans feared: another Evansville who coincidentally is facing many of the same problems but to their credit still hasn't lost community support. I also hate how we jeopardized the long-term health of the program for a one year shot at short term gain by hiring Matt in the first place instead of actually trying to find the best candidate for the job but I guess I understand it and what's done is done anyway.

[usc4valpo]

1314 - the student president at the time was woke, thus the loud voice and the result. I am not sure how much money it cost to rebrand, but this topic was well reviewed in the recent South Park episode with the Prince and Meagan Markle and the Worldwide Privacy Tour.

I'm a big fan of Strength Finders where you place your energy on what you are good at and make it even better.

[JD24]

So...responses from all major constituencies need to evaluated before making a final decision. And let's not overlook that if a change is in the offing, Matt Lottich may need a few days to talk with family, review/negotiate terms, and possibly meet with an attorney/financial/tax advisor to ensure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed, etc. Even if his best efforts fell short of the mark, he deserves to be treated with basic courtesy.

I really don't get what the issue(s) is/are here. There's no need or should be no need to evaluate the situation currently. The Prez and AD have had a season's worth of games and prior year video if desired to view to come to a conclusion about the head coach's future. The decision should have been made certainly prior to this week and probably some weeks or months back. If the decision wasn't made prior to now then the problem is far larger than anyone on this board can come up with. That goes for keeping him or letting him go.

If he's being let go, then let him go. This is done in the sports world all the time. Why Matt Lottich has to be treated with kid gloves because he seems to be a nice guy with a family I have no idea. If the choice is to fire him, let him know and the lawyers can do their thing. Even a "mutually agreed to part ways" discussion can happen in 10 mins with a negotiation afterwards.

This isn't difficult.

[usc4valpo]

JD24 - Boom and bang on. A change should not be shocking, all parties know where this storm has been heading. Show some strength and move on for all parties.

[AB]

As sanguine as the head coach has been during the season, he is a Stanford grad, so he's a reasonably bright guy, one would expect. I think he's aware of the teams performance and would understand in most professions, that your job is in jeopardy if you're not meeting expectations. He will be called into the principals office Monday or Tuesday if something were to happen.

[justducky]

As sanguine as the head coach has been during the season, he is a Stanford grad, so he's a reasonably bright guy, one would expect. I think he's aware of the teams performance and would understand in most professions, that your job is in jeopardy if you're not meeting expectations. He will be called into the principals office Monday or Tuesday if something were to happen.

Can we get the principals office bugged before he returns from St Louis?    My treat.

[humbleopinion]

Valpo is trying to stay afloat by selling artwork. How much impact does this really have on faculty morale?
- does Valpo need upgrades on residential facilities to remain competitive?
- does Valpo need to pay competitive salaries to faculty members?
- how important is the flagship athletic program at Valpo? If it is, how do we address it?
- what is the importance of Valpo providing degrees in art, theatre and creative writing to a selective few?
- should Valpo focus on strengths and double down on those instead of trying to meet everyone's needs?
-  if Valpo cannot grow or even sustain operations, what is the purpose of keeping art?

Time to prioritize gang. And BTW, to the theatre and creative writing majors marching to the presidents office over the possible art sale, there's nothing negative about being portrayed as a tech school. MIT is a technical school, and they also have outstanding humanities education.

Even MIT recognizes the importance of the arts: 

https://arts.mit.edu/

[David81]

So...responses from all major constituencies need to evaluated before making a final decision. And let's not overlook that if a change is in the offing, Matt Lottich may need a few days to talk with family, review/negotiate terms, and possibly meet with an attorney/financial/tax advisor to ensure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed, etc. Even if his best efforts fell short of the mark, he deserves to be treated with basic courtesy.

I really don't get what the issue(s) is/are here. There's no need or should be no need to evaluate the situation currently. The Prez and AD have had a season's worth of games and prior year video if desired to view to come to a conclusion about the head coach's future. The decision should have been made certainly prior to this week and probably some weeks or months back. If the decision wasn't made prior to now then the problem is far larger than anyone on this board can come up with. That goes for keeping him or letting him go.

If he's being let go, then let him go. This is done in the sports world all the time. Why Matt Lottich has to be treated with kid gloves because he seems to be a nice guy with a family I have no idea. If the choice is to fire him, let him know and the lawyers can do their thing. Even a "mutually agreed to part ways" discussion can happen in 10 mins with a negotiation afterwards.

This isn't difficult.

Actually, it can get very difficult when an agreement in principle falls apart before everyone signs on the dotted line. If conditions still need to be negotiated, that can easily happen. And because VU cannot afford to assume anything absent a signed agreement (given that upwards of $750-800k in contract obligations are at stake), no one with any intelligence is going to share anything publicly until everything is finalized, even if fans like us are impatient for decisive news.

[David81]

For the sake of understanding why some who oppose the art sale are so deeply passionate about it, it may be instructive to observe how many people on this board are still upset about the mascot change. Both topics have quickly become matters of both substance and symbol. If you can see that, then you can understand how this art sale will likely create a breach with otherwise loyal VU denizens that will endure for years, maybe permanently.

(For the sake of transparency, I was fairly agnostic on the mascot change. I keep in touch with a good number of fellow VU alums, and it wasn't a big deal for any of us. When it comes to making VU a more inclusive place, the mascot change is not the hill I'd be willing to die on to make some statement on diversity.)

And if folks can downplay the importance of the humanities and creative & performing arts to a university like VU and suggest that these majors should be eliminated because they're not sufficiently ROI viable, then you can understand why others may believe that VU should drop its D1 status because it's getting too expensive to compete successfully in the new ROI-type environment for top college-bound players. Hey, the ARC may be a disincentive for D1 recruits, but it works fine for D3 recruits -- and a drop to D3 probably means that millions of $$$ otherwise earmarked for a new/gut rehabbed sports facility can be diverted to creating (drum roll) better residence halls.

But all of this, coming from different constituencies of the University, eventually creates deep divisions and becomes a race to the bottom, to the point where the eventual "winner" is like the Black Knight in the Monty Python movie. VU's future as a fulsome university, albeit precariously balancing legitimate if not harmonious interests, as opposed to a severely and continually diminished one, is on the line right now.

[JD24]

So...responses from all major constituencies need to evaluated before making a final decision. And let's not overlook that if a change is in the offing, Matt Lottich may need a few days to talk with family, review/negotiate terms, and possibly meet with an attorney/financial/tax advisor to ensure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed, etc. Even if his best efforts fell short of the mark, he deserves to be treated with basic courtesy.

I really don't get what the issue(s) is/are here. There's no need or should be no need to evaluate the situation currently. The Prez and AD have had a season's worth of games and prior year video if desired to view to come to a conclusion about the head coach's future. The decision should have been made certainly prior to this week and probably some weeks or months back. If the decision wasn't made prior to now then the problem is far larger than anyone on this board can come up with. That goes for keeping him or letting him go. If he's being let go, then let him go. This is done in the sports world all the time. Why Matt Lottich has to be treated with kid gloves because he seems to be a nice guy with a family I have no idea. If the choice is to fire him, let him know and the lawyers can do their thing. Even a "mutually agreed to part ways" discussion can happen in 10 mins with a negotiation afterwards. This isn't difficult.

Actually, it can get very difficult when an agreement in principle falls apart before everyone signs on the dotted line. If conditions still need to be negotiated, that can easily happen. And because VU cannot afford to assume anything absent a signed agreement (given that upwards of $750-800k in contract obligations are at stake), no one with any intelligence is going to share anything publicly until everything is finalized, even if fans like us are impatient for decisive news.

So seemingly every other sports entity whether pro or collegiate can get through a coaching change effectively, decisively and quickly but Valpo has to tip-toe through the tulips to get something done. If this is the case, and I really doubt it is, then there's a high degree of ineptitude within the walls of the school.

[David81]

So...responses from all major constituencies need to evaluated before making a final decision. And let's not overlook that if a change is in the offing, Matt Lottich may need a few days to talk with family, review/negotiate terms, and possibly meet with an attorney/financial/tax advisor to ensure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed, etc. Even if his best efforts fell short of the mark, he deserves to be treated with basic courtesy.

I really don't get what the issue(s) is/are here. There's no need or should be no need to evaluate the situation currently. The Prez and AD have had a season's worth of games and prior year video if desired to view to come to a conclusion about the head coach's future. The decision should have been made certainly prior to this week and probably some weeks or months back. If the decision wasn't made prior to now then the problem is far larger than anyone on this board can come up with. That goes for keeping him or letting him go. If he's being let go, then let him go. This is done in the sports world all the time. Why Matt Lottich has to be treated with kid gloves because he seems to be a nice guy with a family I have no idea. If the choice is to fire him, let him know and the lawyers can do their thing. Even a "mutually agreed to part ways" discussion can happen in 10 mins with a negotiation afterwards. This isn't difficult.

Actually, it can get very difficult when an agreement in principle falls apart before everyone signs on the dotted line. If conditions still need to be negotiated, that can easily happen. And because VU cannot afford to assume anything absent a signed agreement (given that upwards of $750-800k in contract obligations are at stake), no one with any intelligence is going to share anything publicly until everything is finalized, even if fans like us are impatient for decisive news.

So seemingly every other sports entity whether pro or collegiate can get through a coaching change effectively, decisively and quickly but Valpo has to tip-toe through the tulips to get something done. If this is the case, and I really doubt it is, then there's a high degree of ineptitude within the walls of the school.

If VU had easy money to cover the remainder of Coach Lottich's contract, the decision might've been announced yesterday. But it does not, and as I explained above, there are now intersecting optics with the controversy over the proposed art sale. In any event, assuming VU is going in this direction, negotiations may very well be underway to announce a coaching departure. We're very likely talking days, not months, to close out one chapter correctly, in order to clear the way for the much bigger challenge of finding the right new HC.

So if that's what you mean by doing a "tip toe through the tulips," then I guess we can cue up the music.  YouTube link for those who want the Tiny Tim version:
https://youtu.be/zcSlcNfThUA

[vu84v2]

If Valpo has made up their mind to dismiss Coach Lottich, it would be appropriate to wait until one or a few days after the MVC tournament ends. Nothing lost by waiting a few more days.

[wh]

So...responses from all major constituencies need to evaluated before making a final decision. And let's not overlook that if a change is in the offing, Matt Lottich may need a few days to talk with family, review/negotiate terms, and possibly meet with an attorney/financial/tax advisor to ensure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed, etc. Even if his best efforts fell short of the mark, he deserves to be treated with basic courtesy.

I really don't get what the issue(s) is/are here. There's no need or should be no need to evaluate the situation currently. The Prez and AD have had a season's worth of games and prior year video if desired to view to come to a conclusion about the head coach's future. The decision should have been made certainly prior to this week and probably some weeks or months back. If the decision wasn't made prior to now then the problem is far larger than anyone on this board can come up with. That goes for keeping him or letting him go. If he's being let go, then let him go. This is done in the sports world all the time. Why Matt Lottich has to be treated with kid gloves because he seems to be a nice guy with a family I have no idea. If the choice is to fire him, let him know and the lawyers can do their thing. Even a "mutually agreed to part ways" discussion can happen in 10 mins with a negotiation afterwards. This isn't difficult.

Actually, it can get very difficult when an agreement in principle falls apart before everyone signs on the dotted line. If conditions still need to be negotiated, that can easily happen. And because VU cannot afford to assume anything absent a signed agreement (given that upwards of $750-800k in contract obligations are at stake), no one with any intelligence is going to share anything publicly until everything is finalized, even if fans like us are impatient for decisive news.

So seemingly every other sports entity whether pro or collegiate can get through a coaching change effectively, decisively and quickly but Valpo has to tip-toe through the tulips to get something done. If this is the case, and I really doubt it is, then there's a high degree of ineptitude within the walls of the school.

If VU had easy money to cover the remainder of Coach Lottich's contract, the decision might've been announced yesterday. But it does not, and as I explained above, there are now intersecting optics with the controversy over the proposed art sale. In any event, assuming VU is going in this direction, negotiations may very well be underway to announce a coaching departure. We're very likely talking days, not months, to close out one chapter correctly, in order to clear the way for the much bigger challenge of finding the right new HC.

So if that's what you mean by doing a "tip toe through the tulips," then I guess we can cue up the music.  YouTube link for those who want the Tiny Tim version:
https://youtu.be/zcSlcNfThUA

"Negotiations may very well be underway..." Negotiating with whom, David? Are you referring to contract negotiations with a new coach? Are you speculating? Do you know something?

[David81]

So...responses from all major constituencies need to evaluated before making a final decision. And let's not overlook that if a change is in the offing, Matt Lottich may need a few days to talk with family, review/negotiate terms, and possibly meet with an attorney/financial/tax advisor to ensure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed, etc. Even if his best efforts fell short of the mark, he deserves to be treated with basic courtesy.

I really don't get what the issue(s) is/are here. There's no need or should be no need to evaluate the situation currently. The Prez and AD have had a season's worth of games and prior year video if desired to view to come to a conclusion about the head coach's future. The decision should have been made certainly prior to this week and probably some weeks or months back. If the decision wasn't made prior to now then the problem is far larger than anyone on this board can come up with. That goes for keeping him or letting him go. If he's being let go, then let him go. This is done in the sports world all the time. Why Matt Lottich has to be treated with kid gloves because he seems to be a nice guy with a family I have no idea. If the choice is to fire him, let him know and the lawyers can do their thing. Even a "mutually agreed to part ways" discussion can happen in 10 mins with a negotiation afterwards. This isn't difficult.

Actually, it can get very difficult when an agreement in principle falls apart before everyone signs on the dotted line. If conditions still need to be negotiated, that can easily happen. And because VU cannot afford to assume anything absent a signed agreement (given that upwards of $750-800k in contract obligations are at stake), no one with any intelligence is going to share anything publicly until everything is finalized, even if fans like us are impatient for decisive news.

So seemingly every other sports entity whether pro or collegiate can get through a coaching change effectively, decisively and quickly but Valpo has to tip-toe through the tulips to get something done. If this is the case, and I really doubt it is, then there's a high degree of ineptitude within the walls of the school.

If VU had easy money to cover the remainder of Coach Lottich's contract, the decision might've been announced yesterday. But it does not, and as I explained above, there are now intersecting optics with the controversy over the proposed art sale. In any event, assuming VU is going in this direction, negotiations may very well be underway to announce a coaching departure. We're very likely talking days, not months, to close out one chapter correctly, in order to clear the way for the much bigger challenge of finding the right new HC.

So if that's what you mean by doing a "tip toe through the tulips," then I guess we can cue up the music.  YouTube link for those who want the Tiny Tim version:
https://youtu.be/zcSlcNfThUA

"Negotiations may very well be underway..." Negotiating with whom, David? Are you referring to contract negotiations with a new coach? Are you speculating? Do you know something?

I assure you that I'm about as "outsider" as one can be. I'm in Boston and the closest thing I have to inside info is The Victory Bell, which I highly recommend, btw.

I'm talking about a severance agreement. Those are often negotiated, especially when the incumbent has a reported 2 more years to go on his contract.

As for a new coach, I can't imagine they're even close to that decision, unless something has been in the works and miraculously nothing leaked.

[Just Sayin]

Doesn't the AD sit down each year with the HC to set performance goals for improvement? If so, I'm guessing Lottich is not meeting those goals. Hasn't been for years in my view. Fireable offense.

[beacons23]

Both men's and women's programs are awful
Ask the former president and AD to help pay off contracts since they were the ones who created this debacle.   

[historyman]

"Austin Peay has parted ways with head coach Nate James, source told @stadium . The former Duke assistant was 21-39 in two seasons at the helm.


https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/apsu/2023/03/05/nate-james-fired-austin-peay-mens-basketball-asun-duke/69975019007/

There is no mention of the length of Nate James' contract but my guess is he probably only had a two year contract at Austin Peay because there is no mention of having to buy out any years on a contract.