Valparaiso hires Gonzaga men's basketball assistant Roger Powell as head coach
Gonzaga men's basketball assistant coach Roger Powell has been named the next head coach of the Valparaiso Beacons. Powell was officially introduced as the head coach on April 7.
Powell, who was on Mark Few's staff for four years, was an assistant at Valparaiso under Bryce Drew for five seasons from 2011-2016.
Powell helped the Zags compile a 121-13 record, including four West Coast Conference titles, four Sweet 16 appearances, two Elite Eights and a national championship game appearance in 2021. Prior to Gonzaga, Powell was an associate head coach under Drew at Vanderbilt, where he helped the program reach the NCAA Tournament in 2016.
Photo by Erik Smith and Myk Crawford
An Illinois graduate, Powell earned his Master's in Sports Administration from Valpo during his time as an assistant. The then-Crusaders notched a program record 30 wins in the 2015-16 season and won the Horizon League regular season title in four of his first five seasons.
Valpo parted ways with previous head coach Matt Lottich on March 23 following an 11-21 season, earning a 10th-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference. Lottich compiled a 108-117 record in seven seasons at the helm, including an appearance in the NIT in the 2016-17 campaign.
Now, Powell will look to guide the Beacons to their first winning season in the MVC since joining the conference in 2017 and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015.
