‘The Sneakerhead’: Coach Valentine Brings Culture and Youth to Loyola

This story was written by Jack Barron and Gabbi Lumma

The Loyola men’s basketball team doesn’t just win games and conference championships — it wins in style with fresh sneakers and swagger. The Ramblers’ emphasis on fashion and culture helps them play with confidence and connect with a younger, fashion-obsessed generation on-campus.

Loyola Head Coach Drew Valentine said he strives to represent the program faithfully by ensuring that every player and coach is always wearing a fresh pair of shoes. With a young coaching staff, Valentine said he took his own path when assembling his team — avoiding suggestions to hire older coaches — and surrounded himself with fellow sneakerheads.

“I would just say that we try to be transparent and be who we are,” Valentine said. “We are young, we’re able to get out on the court and play with our guys…And we’re former players. We bring energy and it shows our swag.”

While ensuring that his team is well-dressed, Valentine said he has amassed a personal collection of shoes sure to impress any shoe enthusiast. Aside from his classic Jordan 1s, redshirt senior guard Braden Norris said Valentine always stands out when wearing his Air Jordan 1 Low ‘Travis Scott x Fragment’ shoes.

Despite his vast array of shoes, Valentine insists that his team wear Nike Dunks, a low-top basketball shoe that stands out from ordinary high-top sneakers. Valentine said Dunks are comfortable to wear on the court and their colors match Loyola’s uniforms.

“The first ones we wore last year made a statement that this is a new era of the Drew Valentine brand,” Valentine said. “We’re gonna set the standard high and let everyone know how we’re coming this year.”

Reflecting on the program’s vibrant culture, Norris said Valentine brings energy to every team event and stays true to his energetic character. Valentine treats everyone the same — no matter if he is talking to a player or Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt — and seeks to encourage his players at every opportunity, Norris said.

Echoing Norris’ praise, sophomore guard Saint Thomas said Valentine has created a team culture built on brotherhood and hopes to create a welcoming environment where players can thrive.

“Drew comes in and says every day that he wants us to be the same person every day,” Thomas said. “He has so much passion for the game so he brings us all together at the end of the day.”

Seeking to build team camaraderie, Loyola embarked on a 10-day trip to France that helped Valentine welcome newcomers to his program. Valentine said the trip shows his program’s commitment to playing basketball and focusing on school, as his players were able to bond while not interrupting their studies.

“We’ve been able to get our guys further along because of that foreign tour,” Valentine said. “I think that they were already great kids and came here for the right reasons, just getting overseas and playing those games helped us speed up that process.”

The Ramblers’ trip to France also helped them grow closer by obsessing over sneakers together. Valentine said he took his team to KITH, a high-end fashion store in Paris and learned why his players like specific shoes while diving deeper into basketball shoe culture.

Closer to home, Loyola’s unique culture stood out when Valentine met four other men’s basketball coaches at the Chicagoland Media Tip-Off Luncheon Oct. 6. Valentine said other coaches wore suits and dress shoes while he was wearing Jordans, demonstrating how different his program is from others.

“I think that the younger generation relates to it and thinks we look professional, but the shoes are the statement,” Valentine said.

Valentine said he is excited about new Arizona State University-themed Dunks that are yet to be released, and hinted at other pairs his team may wear this season. Director of Men’s Basketball Operations London Dokubo checks Nike’s website twice a week to see if the Dunks have dropped, Valentine said.

Loyola will start the 2022-2023 season at home when it hosts Fairleigh Dickinson University Nov. 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and broadcast information has yet to be announced.

Featured image by Jack Barron | The Phoenix