Summit League Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jun 29, 2020

SPOKANE, WA - MARCH 20: Lawrence Alexander #12 of the North Dakota State Bison plays against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on March 20, 2014 in Spokane, Washington. North Dakota State won the game 80-75. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

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15 Mar 1998: Guard Bryce Drew of the Valparaiso Crusaders talks to his father and coach Homer Drew /

7. Homer Drew – Valparaiso (2000-2002, 2003-2007)

If we could include time before the turn of the century, then Drew would certainly rank much higher on the list of Summit League coaches. We’ll maintain our limited focus, but Drew built Valparaiso into the conference’s firmest powerhouse during his tenure. As a 13-seed, Valparaiso made the Sweet Sixteen in 1998 and was still dominating the league as the calendar flipped into the 2000s.

Drew led Valparaiso back to the NCAA Tournament in 2002 and 2004, sandwiching the year in which son Scott led the program during his first retirement. That concluded a ten-year stretch when Valparaiso finished in the top two and played in the Summit League title game. In these six years, Valparaiso maintained their standing in the conference, with Drew finishing 63-29 in league play during this time.

Drew is now a Hall of Famer and his legacy with Valparaiso will never be forgotten. He was on hand as the program transitioned to the Horizon League in 2007 before his retirement four years later. The Crusaders were the best team in the Summit League at the start of the century, and Drew was the reason, completely transforming this program during his two-plus decades.