Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Valparaiso promotes assistant Matt Lottich to head coach

11655L

One day after Bryce Drew was introduced as the new head coach at Vanderbilt, Valparaiso has reportedly found his replacement.

Thursday afternoon Valparaiso offically promoted assistant Matt Lottich to head coach. Lottich, who played collegiately at Stanford, spent the last three seasons on Drew’s staff after completing a professional playing career in Japan. What will also help Lottich in his quest to keep things rolling at Valpo is the fact that the school is just over an hour from Chicago, and as a native of the state Lottich has the contacts needed from a recruiting standpoint.

There are questions when it comes to next season’s roster, as defensive linchpin Vashil Fernandez is out of eligibility and redshirt junior Alec Peters has decided to go through the NBA pre-Draft process (without an agent). Fernandez was one of four seniors on this season’s NIT runner-up team, so there will be some holes to fill this spring.

If Peters were to return that would undoubtedly help the Crusaders, as they look to win a third consecutive Horizon League title and return to the NCAA tournament after missing out this season.

News of Lottich’s hire was originally reported by ESPN.com.