Loyola’s Drew Valentine doesn’t grow tired of hearing he’s the youngest coach in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The 30-year-old first-year coach of the Ramblers takes his 10th-seeded team into Friday’s first-round game against Ohio State hoping to motivate other young assistant coaches, just as current Marquette coach Shaka Smart inspired Valentine when Smart burst onto the scene 13 years ago at Virginia Commonwealth.
“It’s just something for people to talk about or have a connection with,” Valentine said Tuesday as the Ramblers prepared at Gentile Arena for their NCAA Tournament opener. “I think it’s motivating for the next generation. Somebody like Shaka was a young minority coach for me when I was first getting started in this profession, somebody to look up to.
