Drew Valentine facts for kids
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Loyola–Chicago |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 |
| Record | 63–39 (.618) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | May 25, 1991 Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 2009–2013 | Oakland |
| Position(s) | Forward |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2013–2015 | Michigan State (GA) |
| 2015–2017 | Oakland (assistant) |
| 2017–2021 | Loyola Chicago (assistant) |
| 2021–present | Loyola Chicago |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 63–39 (.618) |
| Tournaments | 0–1 (NCAA Division I) 0–1 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| MVC tournament (2022) Atlantic 10 regular season (2024) |
|
Carlton Andrew Valentine II (born May 25, 1991) is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the men's basketball team at Loyola University Chicago. He started this job in 2021. Before becoming a coach, he played college basketball at Oakland University in Michigan. He later returned to Oakland as an assistant coach.
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Playing Career
Drew Valentine played basketball as a forward for the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. He played from 2009 to 2013. During his time there, his team made it to the NCAA tournament twice. He played in many games for the team. He was also one of the top players in getting rebounds, both offensive and defensive.
Coaching Career
After he finished playing basketball, Drew Valentine started his coaching journey.
Starting as a Graduate Manager
Valentine first joined the staff at Michigan State. He worked as a graduate manager for two seasons. This meant he helped the team behind the scenes while he was still studying. His younger brother, Denzel, was a player on the team at that time.
Becoming an Assistant Coach
After Michigan State, Valentine went back to his old college, Oakland. He became an assistant coach there. He was the youngest assistant coach hired by the head coach, Greg Kampe, during his long career. An assistant coach helps the head coach with training, strategy, and working with players.
Coaching at Loyola–Chicago
In 2017, Valentine joined the coaching staff at Loyola–Chicago. He was the team's coordinator for defense. This meant he helped plan how the team would stop their opponents from scoring. In his first season with Loyola, the team had an amazing run. They made it all the way to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. This is a huge achievement in college basketball.
Becoming a Head Coach
In 2021, Drew Valentine was promoted to head coach of the Loyola–Chicago team. This happened after their previous coach, Porter Moser, left for another job. When he became head coach, Drew Valentine was only 29 years old. Many believed he was the youngest head coach in all of NCAA Division I men's basketball at that time. As head coach, he leads the entire team and makes all the big decisions.
Personal Life
Basketball is a big part of the Valentine family. Drew's younger brother is Denzel. Denzel was a very successful college player at Michigan State. He was even named the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year. After college, Denzel was picked by the Chicago Bulls in the 2016 NBA draft.
Drew and Denzel's father, Carlton, also played college basketball at Michigan State. Today, their father is the head coach for the basketball team at J. W. Sexton High School. Both Drew and Denzel went to this high school.
