P.J Valentine Signs With Morehead State
May 7th, 2007
MOREHEAD -- In a suprising announcement, Morehead State fired first year head Coach Donnie Tyndall after a dissapointing season coaching the Eagles. The team which was led by Senior forward Shaun Williams finished an abysmal 12-18 losing in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament by twenty points to Eastern Kentucky.
P.J Valentine just 33, has excelled Coaching the high school ranks. In four seasons as the head coach of New Milford High School in Rockford, Illinois he was 99 - 29 with three regional titles and two state championships. Valentine prided himself on his team's shooting ability and their hustle. In what Valentine himself admitted is a coaching cliche he would constantly tell his team "They may have more talent than us, but they will never out hustle us."
Valentine was a high school basketball standout, at 6'7 with great handles Valentine was rated a four-star recruit his Senior year. However, Valentine opted to skip the NCAA instead heading to Europe to play for the "Nürnberg Falcons." In seven years in Germany, Valentine was a two time all-star with a lot of potential. Several serious leg injuries cut his professional career short and he was quickly back home in Illinois. After spending two years working at a car dealership Valentine was offered a job coaching his old high school team after their old Coach Brian Rosen retired. Valentine turned the school around from a consistent middle of the road team to a powerhouse.
It's been 23 years since Morehead State has last made it to the NCAA Tournament and the school's athletic director has become restless. Valentine won't be working with much, the only notable recruit was two-star power forward Kenneth Faried and last years two leading scorers are gone. In a press conference, today announcing his signing Valentine said "Firstly, I want to that all the great young men I coached at New Milford High School. You guys are what led me to this great opportunity. Hopefully, soon I'll be Coaching some of you all again if I'm lucky. It was a dream of mine to play in the NCAA, I've always wanted to hear the roars of the student section or stand under the bright lights of the Final Four. I never got that chance as a player, I had to head to Europe to take care of my sick mother financially. So I'm so honored to be able to achieve that dream as a Coach fifteen years later. I won't deny that this program here at Morehead State hasn't fallen on tough times, but I believe, hell I know we can build something here."
May 7th, 2007
MOREHEAD -- In a suprising announcement, Morehead State fired first year head Coach Donnie Tyndall after a dissapointing season coaching the Eagles. The team which was led by Senior forward Shaun Williams finished an abysmal 12-18 losing in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament by twenty points to Eastern Kentucky.
P.J Valentine just 33, has excelled Coaching the high school ranks. In four seasons as the head coach of New Milford High School in Rockford, Illinois he was 99 - 29 with three regional titles and two state championships. Valentine prided himself on his team's shooting ability and their hustle. In what Valentine himself admitted is a coaching cliche he would constantly tell his team "They may have more talent than us, but they will never out hustle us."
Valentine was a high school basketball standout, at 6'7 with great handles Valentine was rated a four-star recruit his Senior year. However, Valentine opted to skip the NCAA instead heading to Europe to play for the "Nürnberg Falcons." In seven years in Germany, Valentine was a two time all-star with a lot of potential. Several serious leg injuries cut his professional career short and he was quickly back home in Illinois. After spending two years working at a car dealership Valentine was offered a job coaching his old high school team after their old Coach Brian Rosen retired. Valentine turned the school around from a consistent middle of the road team to a powerhouse.
It's been 23 years since Morehead State has last made it to the NCAA Tournament and the school's athletic director has become restless. Valentine won't be working with much, the only notable recruit was two-star power forward Kenneth Faried and last years two leading scorers are gone. In a press conference, today announcing his signing Valentine said "Firstly, I want to that all the great young men I coached at New Milford High School. You guys are what led me to this great opportunity. Hopefully, soon I'll be Coaching some of you all again if I'm lucky. It was a dream of mine to play in the NCAA, I've always wanted to hear the roars of the student section or stand under the bright lights of the Final Four. I never got that chance as a player, I had to head to Europe to take care of my sick mother financially. So I'm so honored to be able to achieve that dream as a Coach fifteen years later. I won't deny that this program here at Morehead State hasn't fallen on tough times, but I believe, hell I know we can build something here."
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