Former Gonzaga assistant Roger Powell Jr. finds ideal fit as Valparaiso's head coach
Apr. 12—Valparaiso head coach Roger Powell Jr. has a picture he plans to display in his new office that will remind him of his faith, his successful stint previously as a Valpo assistant and his past four years as a Gonzaga assistant.
The panoramic photo was taken in 2016 after Valparaiso defeated visiting Saint Mary's, Gonzaga's West Coast Conference rival, in the NIT quarterfinals.
"The last time I was on this floor, it was literally a packed house, electric, and we beat Saint Mary's," Powell said during his introductory news conference Wednesday at the Athletics-Recreation Center (ARC). "Being from Gonzaga, I love beating Saint Mary's. But the one thing that really stood out to me during that time was the prayer at the end of the game. I was in the middle of the court and the whole community is surrounding me.
"That moment stuck with me. It's pretty surreal I'm right back seven years later and hoping we're going to do that again."
Powell, who grew up a 75-minute drive away in Joliet, Illinois, has had other head coaching offers, but Valparaiso holds special meaning as his first head coaching assignment. It's where he entered the coaching profession as an assistant under Bryce Drew in 2011. Valpo went to two NCAA Tournaments and reached the 2016 NIT final after posting a school-record 30 wins.
Powell has big plans for the Beacons, some of which he learned from head coaches he played for at Illinois or worked for over the past 12 years, including Gonzaga's Mark Few, Drew, Jerry Sloan, Bill Self and Bruce Weber.
"We're going to play a fun brand of basketball," Powell said. "Offensively, we're going to play fast. I don't want to run a lot of sets. I'm thankful that I was able to learn that the last four years being part of the No. 1 offense in college basketball.
"Defensively, we're going play man-to-man and we're going to be physical and do something I call 'bloody nose lane.' If someone comes down the paint, they're going to feel it. Hopefully, the refs don't call everything."
Powell was the first of three finalists to interview a week ago with Valpo president Jose Padilla, athletic director Charles Small and other school officials at a hotel near Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
"After that interview, I'm thinking, 'These other two are very talented guys, but I think we found our guy,' " Padilla said. "We knew from the get go, the enthusiasm, the faith, the personality he brings to the table."
Small recalled asking Few if there were any red flags with Powell.
"And Coach Few said, 'No red flags, no yellow flags, all green flags, go forward,' " Small said. "He talked about Roger's character and the relationships Roger built with the young men at Gonzaga and that was so encouraging."
Powell, given the nickname 'The Rev' in his playing days at Illinois, set a time limit on his remarks, joking that he has a tendency to be long-winded. He quickly thanked his mom, his wife Tara and their four kids seated in the front row.
"We got married in September 2005," Powell said. "We've moved 17 times and in that time we've had four kids. This woman, who we call 'the CEO,' has taken care of four kids and a husband so we need to give her a hand."
Powell's initial objectives are to complete his staff and get busy recruiting.
"My mindset is not limited," he said. "Why can't we go to the Final Four? Why can't we win multiple conference championships?"
