Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball coach Porter Moser has received a contract extension that will keep him on the Ramblers’ bench through the 2017-18 season it was announced today. The Naperville, Ill., native, who is entering his third season at Loyola, guided a team that was ranked as the sixth-youngest in NCAA Division I last season, to an eight-game improvement in the win column.
"Under the direction of Coach Moser, our men’s basketball program has come a long way in a short period of time," Loyola Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. M. Grace Calhoun said. "Both on and off the court, Coach Moser is a leader in every sense of the word and extending his contract affirms our faith in his ability to help the Rambler men’s basketball program reach new heights. We look forward to having him lead us into a new chapter in the storied history of Loyola basketball as we build on the momentum of last year and begin competition in the Missouri Valley Conference this season."
During his brief tenure at Loyola, Moser has laid a foundation for sustained success and last season, despite fielding one of the youngest squads in the country, the Ramblers recorded 15 victories and seven of their losses came by three points or less. Under Moser’s direction, forward Ben Averkamp blossomed into a two-time Second Team All-Horizon League selection and last year, he became the program’s first-ever Academic All-American when he was named Capital One Second Team Academic All-America in 2013. During the 2011-12 campaign, forward Walt Gibler became only second Loyola men’s basketball player to earn the Horizon League’s prestigious Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor, which is presented to annually to both a male and female student-athlete in recognition of outstanding achievement in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities.
Moser guided Loyola to a pair of victories over BCS conference teams last season, marking the first time since 1991-92 that the program has achieved that feat. The Ramblers’ 69-61 win at DePaul last December was Loyola’s first against its long-time city rival since 1989. Loyola got off to one of its best starts in recent seasons by winning 10 of its first 13 contests, including a road win at defending Horizon League champion Valparaiso in 2012-13.
A highly regarded freshman class was able to gain valuable experience and began to blossom during the final three weeks of the season, with rookie guard Devon Turk bursting onto the scene by averaging 8.7 points per game, while knocking down 65 three-point field goals, a Loyola single-season record for a freshman.
"I couldn’t be happier or more committed to lead the Loyola basketball program into a new era as we enter the Missouri Valley Conference," Moser said. "I am grateful to the administration for its support and confidence and will continue to work to restore the proud tradition of Loyola basketball. Chicago is home for me and my family, and I look forward to continuing to develop quality student-athletes who are outstanding representatives of this great University."
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