(670 The Score) After the departure of coach Porter Moser to Oklahoma, Loyola Chicago is aiming to sustain the success he established. It's what led the Ramblers to promote Drew Valentine, an assistant under Moser, to the heading coaching position.
Valentine, 29, had been at Moser's side for the past four seasons as Loyola transformed into a mid-major power. Valentine hopes to continue that trend, as he told the Mully & Haugh Show on Wednesday morning.
"We built a culture that means so much more than just winning games," Valentine said. "It's the way that we do it. It's the kind of people that are within our program. It's the way in which we communicate with each other within the program. It's the way in which we teach the game on the floor with the guys. It's the work ethic, it's the commitment, it's the family that we have. Hiring from within, it keeps continuity in place.
"They've also seen what you can do when you completely buy in and you believe in this culture that we talk about here at Loyola.
"We've had success here, and I'm just going to continue to build upon that, build upon the foundation."
Loyola went 26-5 and reached the Sweet 16 this past season. The Ramblers of this era first rose to prominence by reaching the Final Four in 2018. Loyola has won the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title in three of the past four seasons.