First-year Loyola University Chicago head men’s basketball coach Drew Valentine announced today six members of his coaching staff. Joining Valentine on the sidelines for the 2021-22 season are assistant coaches Amorrow Morgan, Sean Dwyer and Patrick Wallace, special advisor to the head coach Dan Hipsher, director of basketball operations London Dokubo, and video coordinator C.J. Rivers.
Morgan held the title of associate head coach at the University of South Alabama for the last two seasons after serving as an assistant coach during the 2018-19 campaign. Before his stint at South Alabama, Morgan was an assistant coach at Nicholls State, where he helped the Colonels to a share of the Southland Conference title and their most wins (21) since 1995. During his playing career, Morgan, a native of Memphis, Tenn., was a two-time All-Big Sky honoree at Idaho State.
“Amorrow is extremely well-respected and liked across the country for the job he does,” Valentine said. “I’ve gotten to know him as a fellow assistant coach over the years and I’ve had a tremendous respect watching what he’s been able to do from afar. In addition to being an extremely passionate and high-energy individual, who excels both as a recruiter and on-floor coach, Amorrow is elite at building relationships. He is a future head coach and rising star in this profession, who will continue to build and sustain our culture. I am thrilled to welcome him and his wife, Michelle, to the Loyola family.”
Dwyer comes to Loyola after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati, and prior to that served as an assistant coach at Northern Kentucky University for four years. While at NKU, Dwyer helped the Norse to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, a National Invitation Tournament berth and two Horizon League regular-season championships. A graduate of Michigan State University, where he was a student manager, Dwyer also spent four seasons at the University of Alabama on Anthony Grant’s staff.
“Sean is wired to win,” Valentine said. “He is very highly regarded across the profession as someone who has what it takes to be a head coach one day. Sean is extremely detail-oriented and is an experienced and proven coach in all aspects of the job. Whether it is game preparation, recruiting or player development, no job is too big or too small for Sean. His values are aligned with our culture and he is another proven winner joining our program. Sean is an absolute grinder and I can’t wait to work with him each and every day.”
For the past two seasons, Wallace, who moves up to an assistant coach role, has served as the video coordinator on the Loyola staff, helping the Ramblers to a No. 12 ranking in the final Coaches Top 25 Poll, a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 and Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships. Wallace served as a graduate manager at Northwestern University for two seasons before arriving in Rogers Park. He began his playing career at North Carolina State University before transferring to Charleston Southern University, where he ranked 15thin program history with 117 three-point field goals despite playing only two seasons there.
“Patrick has done so much behind the scenes work for our program the past two seasons and he is absolutely prepared to make this jump to be an assistant coach,” Valentine said. “He is an extraordinarily hard working and dedicated individual who has one of the brightest basketball minds that I’ve been around. Patrick has earned the trust and respect of all of our players and will help us keep continuity with our culture. I’m excited to continue working with him.”
Hipsher has served as the head coach at four different institutions, three of which were at the NCAA Division I level, during his career, and most recently was the associate head coach at Oakland University. Hipsher, who was a long-time assistant under Don Donoher at the University of Dayton, also had stints as an assistant at the University of Arkansas, University of South Florida and University of Alabama, in addition to being the head coach at Wittenberg University, Stetson University, the University of Akron, and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. At Wittenberg, Hipsher guided the Tigers to three NCAA Division II Tournament appearances in four years, including a trip to the Elite 8.
“This is a home-run hire for our program,” Valentine said. “I was fortunate to spend a season coaching with Coach Hip and I learned so many valuable lessons about this profession in my short time alongside him. He will help me tremendously as I make this transition. Coach Hip has accomplished so much and has worn so many hats throughout his coaching career that his perspective will be critical not only for me, but for my staff as well. We are very lucky to have him and his wonderful wife, Sue, on board.”
Former Loyola guard London Dokubo, who has spent the last two seasons as the Ramblers’ director of basketball operations, will continue in that capacity in 2021-22. The Schaumburg, Ill., native has served on the Loyola staff, in one capacity or another, for the past five seasons and has been a part of the program’s unprecedented four-year run that produced 99 overall wins, three MVC regular season championships, three postseason berths and trips to the NCAA Final Four and Sweet 16. As a player at Loyola, Dokubo was a guard on Loyola’s 2014-15 squad that won the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) title.
“London means so much to our program. He is a proven winner that knows how a championship program is supposed to function,” Valentine said. “This year will be the 10thconsecutive season that London has been a part of Loyola Basketball and we are very fortunate to have him on our staff. London has a wide range of knowledge and experience about our program and University. He is an extremely loyal and relatable person who will continue to be a valuable resource for our players and coaches.”
No stranger to The Valley, Rivers played at Drake University from 2014-18 and was a MVC Scholar-Athlete selection during his collegiate career. The Cahokia, Ill., native has spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant at Colorado State University, aiding the Rams in back-to-back 20-win seasons as well as a trip to the NIT in 2020-21.
“C.J. is someone I am really looking forward to working with,” Valentine said. “As a former starting guard in The Valley, he will bring a special understanding and perspective to our staff. C.J. has done a tremendous job at making the transition from player to coach and I’m really excited about adding his energy to our staff. He will be a terrific resource for our players and staff and I’m happy to have him two feet in.”
Loyola is coming off a 26-5 overall record and a school-record 16 conference wins in 2020-21. The Ramblers, who reached the NCAA Sweet 16 this season, finished the year ranked No. 12 in the final Coaches Top 25 Poll and over the last four years, have earned three postseason berths, won three MVC regular-season titles and won 99 games.
Loyola Chicago Men’s Basketball Staff Update
