What is to be made of Dr. Small's public statement?

[Dr. T]

DEAR VALPO FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS,

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Valpo legends Bryce and Homer Drew. Our discussion reminded me how fortunate I am to be aligned with an institution that has a rich history of promoting virtues of courage and love. Specifically, I am grateful for the blessing of being associated with an athletic department that has a legacy of promoting excellence, family and teamwork. I am enjoying Scott's book, "The Road to Joy." As a father of boys ages four and six, I am inspired by the stories of Homer taking Scott on recruiting trips. I love reading about the bond between Bryce and Scott.

The theme of "Valpo Family" has repeatedly been mentioned when I ask constitutes what makes our community, University and athletic department special. I am tremendously thankful that the campus community has welcomed my family with open arms during this first year as your Director of Athletics. We truly appreciate your support and commitment to Valpo Athletics.

Go Valpo!

-------------

Personally, I feel people (like me) will read into this statement and apply our preferred context to it. Ex: As one who is pessimistic about the direction of the Valpo MBB program and who admittedly hopes that the program moves on from ML as its head coach, I can read into this statement as an indication that Dr. Small respects what this program once was and recognizes its in need of restoration. Thus, moving on from ML.

Someone who would prefer to see ML be given another year or two could easily read into this statement and draw reasonable conclusions about it providing a case for Valpo being different ... a family-oriented place where we'll continue building around ML and his program.

Others could easily say there's no correlation between these sentiments and the Valpo MBB program's embarrassment of a season and overall sustained decline. 

[crusader05]

In my mind it was a very generic statement so I didn't read much.

My general hope is the convo was basically :help us build the arena and we will name it after you, your children, your dog, anything you want::

[usc4valpo]

Not much but a warm fuzzy.

[Just Sayin]

Still no action from the AD. 

[valporun]

Still no action from the AD. 

May be no word because the Conference doesn't want attention taken away from the Tournament... sit on your hands until tomorrow, when the tournament is over, and Dr. Small can make the information known to us.

[JD24]

Still no action from the AD.

I'm with others who believe any announcement wouldn't come until after the conference tournament and maybe tomorrow. Maybe a leak over night tonight?

I think once we get through tomorrow with no news, it begins to become more likely that no change is being made.

Smalls comments amount to a fluff of nothingness.

[VU2014]

Where did you see these public remarks.  Couldn't find the statement on the website.

Honestly I think that's nothing burger statement. It makes sense that he wants to stay connected to the individuals who were the most successful stewards of our Athletics Departments history. It's important to still be connected, especially in this new era of leadership without direct connections.

I can't read anything in connection to giving Lottich the boot.

Still no action from the AD.

I'm with others who believe any announcement wouldn't come until after the conference tournament and maybe tomorrow. Maybe a leak over night tonight?

I think once we get through tomorrow with no news, it begins to become more likely that no change is being made.

Smalls comments amount to a fluff of nothingness.

It makes sense to wait until after Arch Madness, but I still don't think we're moving on from Lottich.

[Dr. T]

"Where did you see these public remarks.  Couldn't find the statement on the website.[/size]Honestly I think that's nothing burger statement. It makes sense that he wants to stay connected to the individuals who were the most successful stewards of our Athletics Departments history. It's important to still be connected, especially in this new era of leadership without direct connections.I can't read anything in connection to giving Lottich the boot."


VU2014 - social media. @valpoathletics Instagram for one - 3 days ago.

[historyman]

"Where did you see these public remarks.  Couldn't find the statement on the website.Honestly I think that's nothing burger statement. It makes sense that he wants to stay connected to the individuals who were the most successful stewards of our Athletics Departments history. It's important to still be connected, especially in this new era of leadership without direct connections.I can't read anything in connection to giving Lottich the boot."


VU2014 - social media. @valpoathletics Instagram for one - 3 days ago.

Dr. T wrote:

font=Verdana]"Where did you see these public remarks.  Couldn't find the statement on the website.[/size]Honestly I think that's nothing burger statement. It makes sense that he wants to stay connected to the individuals who were the most successful stewards of our Athletics Departments history. It's important to still be connected, especially in this new era of leadership without direct connections.I can't read anything in connection to giving Lottich the boot."


VU2014 - social media. @valpoathletics Instagram for one - 3 days ago.

[tiny707]

GCU is dancing again.

[Just Sayin]

GCU is dancing again.

Dan Majerle in the seven years prior to Bryce taking over did not make the dance one time while coaching GCU. Bryce has taken his team to the dance twice in four years.

[elephtheria47]

Hes gonna be a hot name again in a week or two. Will he stay at GCU or will he make another run with a P5?

[valpopal]

A classy post by VU Athletics, but it has to be bittersweet for all Valpo basketball fans.
[tweet]1634940156225662979[/tweet]

[Dr. T]

My gut says Bryce stays at GCU - assuming, however, he & his family enjoy living there, he feels a sense of contentment and purpose there, & his compensation is amenable to their preferred lifestyle.

That said, he'll have his opportunities, no doubt. With a 64-26 record that includes two conference championships and thus two NCAA appearances in three years - something may be too good to pass up. 

The fact, however, Valpo (rightfully) celebrates his accomplishments is a testament (you'd like to think) to their acknowledgment that winning is kind of, sort of .. at least a tad bit oh ... idk ... how shall I say IMPORTANT. Beyond being a nice guy ... it's a business. And, winning matters.

[Valpo1993]

This letter sounds like once Bryce is done this season he will come back to Valpo.   They are waiting for Bryce to be done with his season.   Once that happens Lottich will be replaced by Bryce.   


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[VULB#62]

This letter sounds like once Bryce is done this season he will come back to Valpo.   They are waiting for Bryce to be done with his season.   Once that happens Lottich will be replaced by Bryce.

Assuming this is sarcasm: yeah, right. 🙄

No way will Bryce, Scott or even the patriarch, Homer, ever come back to this dumpster fire. They invested so much. They pleaded for investment. They excelled despite lip service and unfulfilled promises. A million dollars invested in the program tomorrow, Monday 3/13, won't even get an eyebrow raise from them. VU burned that bridge.

[Valpo1993]

This letter sounds like once Bryce is done this season he will come back to Valpo.   They are waiting for Bryce to be done with his season.   Once that happens Lottich will be replaced by Bryce.

Assuming this is sarcasm: yeah, right. [emoji849]

No way will Bryce, Scott or even the patriarch, Homer, ever come back to this dumpster fire. They invested so much. They pleaded for investment. They excelled despite lip service and unfulfilled promises. A million dollars invested in the program tomorrow, Monday 3/13, won't even get an eyebrow raise from them. VU burned that bridge.

That's the only explanation I can come up with.   What program in their right mind would keep Lottich.   I am sure Lottich is surprised he is still around.   He should be embarrassed.


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[may know]

Homer and Bryce will show up for reunions and put on a good face publicly about how great is Valpo, but privately you know they're talking amongst themselves about how big of a dumpster fire VU has become.

[valporun]

GCU is dancing again.

Dan Majerle in the seven years prior to Bryce taking over did not make the dance one time while coaching GCU. Bryce has taken his team to the dance twice in four years.

Dan Majerle was at GCU during the transition to D-I, and since Jerry Colangelo was invested in the athletic side of the university, he was there because he was a Phoenix guy that knew Arizona from his Suns playing days. That was the main reason Thunder Dan was in Lopes Country.

[historyman]

GCU is dancing again.

Dan Majerle in the seven years prior to Bryce taking over did not make the dance one time while coaching GCU. Bryce has taken his team to the dance twice in four years.

Dan Majerle was at GCU during the transition to D-I, and since Jerry Colangelo was invested in the athletic side of the university, he was there because he was a Phoenix guy that knew Arizona from his Suns playing days. That was the main reason Thunder Dan was in Lopes Country.

from wikipedia:

On March 15, 2013, it was announced that Majerle would coach for Grand Canyon University in their first season as a Division I team.[14]

On December 23, 2015, Majerle led Grand Canyon to their first tournament victory as a Division I team when they won the 2015 Global Sports Classic championship.[15]

He was fired on March 17, 2020, after his first losing season, with his seven years stint at Grand Canyon coming to an end. On May 19, 2020, Majerle filed a lawsuit against Grand Canyon University over the handling of its firing from the head coach position and pending salaries. [16]


Bryce beware.

[Valpo1993]

Homer and Bryce will show up for reunions and put on a good face publicly about how great is Valpo, but privately you know they're talking amongst themselves about how big of a dumpster fire VU has become.

Don't you think VU hired Lottich because the Drew's said he was best for the job. 


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[historyman]

from wikipedia:

On March 15, 2013, it was announced that Majerle would coach for Grand Canyon University in their first season as a Division I team.[14]

On December 23, 2015, Majerle led Grand Canyon to their first tournament victory as a Division I team when they won the 2015 Global Sports Classic championship.[15]

He was fired on March 17, 2020, after his first losing season, with his seven years stint at Grand Canyon coming to an end. On May 19, 2020, Majerle filed a lawsuit against Grand Canyon University over the handling of its firing from the head coach position and pending salaries. [16]


Bryce beware.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/gcu/2020/05/19/dan-majerle-files-law-suit-against-grand-canyon/5219467002/

Hooper said that Majerle is seeking the full amount due to him under his contract with GCU. The law, she says, "provides for amounts under the contract in addition to other damages, as asserted in the Complaint."

She said Majerle's coaching contract with GCU ran through the 2022-23 season.

Majerle was recommended by former Suns owner and GCU advisor Jerry Colangelo to be the basketball coach at it began its move into the NCAA Division I seven years ago. Majerle, who had a 14-year NBA career, most of which spent with the Suns including a push to the 1993 NBA Finals, became the face of the school.

But things soured last season when GCU had its first losing season (13-17) under Majerle.

In the complaint, filed with Maricopa County Superior Court on Monday, GCU advised that it would not honor the Employment Agreement's severance provision, denying Majerle the salary and other benefits that he is due as severance pay.

The complaint says that after his termination, GCU continued to utilize Majerle's name and likeness for the university's advertisements, such as prominently displaying billboards featuring Majerle and maintaining Majerle on GCU's website as men's basketball coach for weeks following his termination.

"GCU has already begun a campaign to disparage Majerle as part of its effort to avoid its severance obligation to Majerle by creating false and pretextual reasons for Majerle's termination that are not 'Cause' for termination under the Agreement and that were never asserted during his employment as potential grounds for termination," the complaint reads. "In furtherance of this effort, the President of GCU has disparaged Majerle in conversations with at least one of the GCU player/family. This disparagement of Majerle is an independent breach of the Employment Agreement."

It adds that GCU operated in bad faith in its handling of Majerle's termination and it failed to abide by the terms of the Employment Agreement.

The complaint says that interim Athletic Director Jamie Boggs informed Majerle of the firing in a phone call.

"During the call, Boggs did not give any reason for the termination and did not tell Majerle he was being terminated for Cause," the complaint reads. "Boggs said the university decided that it was moving in another direction and said she was sorry.

"A decision to 'move in another direction' is not grounds for Cause under the Employment Agreement."

Bob Romantic, executive director of public relations for GCU, issued a statement on the university's behalf Tuesday morning:

"GCU was surprised to learn through members of the media that former coach Dan Majerle has apparently filed a lawsuit against the University. Rather than serving the University with a copy of his complaint, Coach Majerle appears instead to have provided copies of his complaint to members of the media. The University hired Coach Majerle when he had no prior head coaching experience and no college coaching experience with the greatest hope and belief that he would lead the men's basketball program for 20-plus years. The University financially supported Coach Majerle and the men's basketball program at the highest level during his seven-year tenure and wanted nothing but the best for him and the program. We regret that Coach Majerle's tenure had to end the way it did, but the University is prepared to defend itself and its decision if necessary should Coach Majerle decide to continue with litigation. GCU is unable to comment further until such time as it receives a copy of Coach Majerle's complaint and has an opportunity to review his allegations."


From Barlow, Garsek & Simon, LLP

https://bgsfirm.com/thunder-dan-majerle-v-grand-canyon-university-dispute-over-termination/

Former Phoenix Suns legend and now former Grand Canyon University ("GCU") head men's basketball coach, Thunder Dan Majerle has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against GCU relating to the termination of his employment.  Majerle's contract ran through the 2022-23 season.  After Majerle's first losing season at GCU, on March 12, 2020, the day the WAC tournament was cancelled, Majerle was terminated.  Majerle indicated that he was terminated via phone conference with GCU's interim athletics director and was told GCU was moving in another direction.  During that call, Majerle's lawsuit indicated he was not informed that he was terminated for cause and, thus, he is entitled to the amount of his buyout (and other damages) as set forth in his agreement.  In his lawsuit, Majerle asserted that GCU informed him that it would not pay the buyout provision of his contract, which was a calculation based on his salary and other benefits.



ARIZONA Employment Law Letter

https://www.tblaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/0720-AZ.pdf

Thought Dr. Small and University lawyers might like to read this. :-)

[historyman]

Homer and Bryce will show up for reunions and put on a good face publicly about how great is Valpo, but privately you know they're talking amongst themselves about how big of a dumpster fire VU has become.

Don't you think VU hired Lottich because the Drew's said he was best for the job. 

No, I don't believe that they did.

I believe they told Mark LaBarbera that if he wanted to hire from within, which I believed Mark got from the situation at Butler and how it worked there, that Lottich or Gore would be fine replacements. Mark then went with Lottich who then asked Gore to stay also.

[VULB#62]

Homer and Bryce will show up for reunions and put on a good face publicly about how great is Valpo, but privately you know they're talking amongst themselves about how big of a dumpster fire VU has become.

Don't you think VU hired Lottich because the Drew's said he was best for the job. 
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No.  Powell was offered the job. He declined and went to N'ville with Bryce. Got to assume that Luke was next in line due to his experience as a long-time assistant at Valpo. It would be the logical next step. Have to also assume he declined. We can speculate as to why but two things come to mind. He may have felt he wasn't ready yet or, and some people are like this, he just wants to be an assistant rather than have the responsibility of being the head guy. Who's left? Matt. 

Here's the kicker.  This was a very hot opening in the D-I basketball world at the time.  Yet, from the outset Valpo consciously chose to stay within the  immediate Valpo family — they didn't even look at the extended family, i.e., Tonagel. Why? I can't figure why you wouldn't at least dip your toe in the waters of the national coaching marketplace just to get a feel for what could be possible. Nothing to lose everything to gain — you could always back away and stay in-house. It remains a mystery that defies logic.

[VULB#62]

Homer and Bryce will show up for reunions and put on a good face publicly about how great is Valpo, but privately you know they're talking amongst themselves about how big of a dumpster fire VU has become.

Don't you think VU hired Lottich because the Drew's said he was best for the job. 

No, I don't believe that they did.

I believe they told Mark LaBarbera that if he wanted to hire from within, which I believed Mark got from the situation at Butler and how it worked there, that Lottich or Gore would be fine replacements. Mark then went with Lottich who then asked Gore to stay also.

I too recall the "Butler Way" rationale. I believe it was a smokescreen to explain away why they refused to open the search.

EDIT:  And the plot thickens. There was also the speculation at the time that MLB didn't want to rock the boat for fear of losing AP to Vandy or some other. P5