Drew Valentine, who has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Oakland University, has been named assistant men’s basketball coach at Loyola University Chicago, head coach Porter Moser announced today. Considered one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country, Valentine has also served as a graduate manager at Michigan State University, where his brother and current Chicago Bulls guard, Denzel Valentine, starred.
“We are excited to add Drew to our staff and we welcome him to our Loyola Basketball family,” Moser said. “He has a great coaching pedigree with his father being a coach and then working under two of the best coaches in the game in Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe. Drew is a winner and has played a key role with successful programs, helping Oakland to the NCAA Tournament as a player and then assisting with Michigan State’s run to the Final Four. He made an immediate impact at Oakland and helped elevate that program into a perennial top team in the Horizon League. Drew is a high-energy individual and is a rising star in this profession.”
The youngest full-time assistant coach ever hired by Greg Kampe, Valentine helped Oakland to 48 total wins and a pair of postseason appearances, including a NIT berth in 2016-17. Oakland’s 48 wins over the last two seasons are the second-most over a two-year stretch, bested only by the 51 victories from 2009-11, when Valentine was a player and helped the Golden Grizzlies to consecutive NCAA appearances. In April, he was named to the 2017 Under Armour 30-under-30 Team, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC), as one of the top coaches under the age of 30.
During his two-year stint as a graduate manager, Valentine helped Michigan State to a 53-21 record, two Sweet 16 appearances and a berth in the 2015 Final Four.
As a player, Valentine was the heart and soul of an Oakland program that recorded 87 victories and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths, graduating in 2013 as the winningest player in school history. The Lansing, Michigan native’s best season came in 2011-12 when he averaged 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Loyola is coming off of an 18-win season and welcome back three starters from last year’s team, including Third Team All-Missouri Valley Conference guard/forward Donte Ingram, as well as MVC Sixth Man of the Year Aundre Jackson.
