MVC Coaches – Who Mentors the Mentors?

What Makes Missouri Valley Conference Coaches Tick?

(St. Louis, MO) – College basketball coaches help shape the character of the players they coach. So who mentors the mentors? Who helped form the values and coaching style of Missouri Valley Conference coaches?

At the MVC Tipoff Media luncheon, we asked them.

Many of the answers were logical and all of them were interesting. These are men that think deeply about their ‘life-coach’ roles and easily look back at those who have helped them along the way. All ten Valley coaches spoke respectfully and almost reverently of those who had impacted their lives.

As you might imagine, former coaches were near the top of every coach’s list.

Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson and Missouri State’s Dana Ford each spoke about coaches who formerly coached in the MVC. Ford even included two that he currently faces in Valley play.

 

 

All ten coaches spoke of the importance of family mentors. Several had parents that were very engaged in their basketball lives. Loyola’s Porter Moser says his mother was super optimistic and his father was very driven. You can see both of those elements in the Ramblers’ head man.

Valparaiso’s Matt Lottich has been mentored by two college basketball Hall of Famers while Bradley’s Brian Wardle worked for an up-and-coming star in Tom Crean. Wardle says he tried to learn something differently from each mentoring figure. Lottich says he can call those hall-of-famers any time he wants.

 

 

The Moser and Mullins Mentoring Connection

First year Southern Illinois head coach Bryan Mullins worked for Loyola-Chicago’s Moser. His father was also his coach and mentor. Both Mullins and Moser played in the Valley and won MVC championships. While playing at Creighton, Moser learned from the late Tony Barone. Later he worked for hall-of-famer Rick Majerus.

Barone, whose son Brian Barone is now coaching at the Ohio Valley’s Southern Illinois Edwardsville, placed a high priority on maintaining a family atmosphere. He seemed to believe he had to be someone who mentors the mentors.

(Learn more about SIUE’s Brian Barone read “Who is SIUE’s Brian Barone” and “Brian Barone – Building a Cougar Culture“)

These two coaches share a bond. Now they must compete with one another and both view their mentors with great respect.

 

 

An Early Connection Mentors the Mentors

Indiana State coach Greg Lansing is a coach’s son. His father Dave Lansing is a hall of fame high school coach. He always knew he would become a coach. After working with Royce Waltman and Steve Alford he still looks at his father as the best coach he’s ever seen.

Evansville’s Walter McCarty has played for and worked for some of the biggest names in the NBA. From his earliest days McCarty has been around the game. He grew up with former SIU coach Chris Lowery and spent ten years in the Association and played at the historically great Kentucky college program.

McCarty and Lansing were marked and mentored early in life.

 

 

Illinois State’s Dan Muller played for and worked with Kevin Stallings. Darian DeVries spent 20 years at Creighton. Both are coaching in the league they love. Like their coaching brethren, DeVries and Muller praised their former high school coaches.

In a nation that longs for leadership, families are longing for father figures, these coaches speak of men (and women) who have made a difference in their lives.

Now these coaches are mentoring tomorrow’s mentors.

Do Good