Lindenwood’s Division I Transition: What does Head Coach Kyle Gerdeman have to say?

Lindenwood University will be among the five teams making the transition from Division II to the division I ranks this upcoming season as the Lions will join the Ohio Valley Conference. Back in February, the university’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted for Lindenwood to make the jump and it will soon become official on July 1st, 2022.

An exciting move for all 29 athletic teams at Lindenwood, 18  of which will be joining the OVC, I had the privilege of discussing the transition with head men’s basketball coach Kyle Gerdeman. Approaching his fourth season at the helm, Gerdeman has had two previous stops at the Division I level, serving as an assistant at both his alma mater Southeast Missouri State, and Central Michigan.

That experience, as well as the fact that Gerdeman has already undergone a transition in his first year at Lindenwood, is sure to help him and his staff with the adjustment.  The program joined the Grand Lakes Valley Conference from the Mid-America Athletic Association back in 2019-20 and will now be on the move yet again. But instead of making excuses about the lack of stability during his tenure, Gerdeman is excited about the opportunity to compete at the highest level.

In order to do that, however, Gerdeman and staff will have to make adjustments, at the foundation of which, lies on the recruiting front.