The Grand Canyon University Lopes are hiring former Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew to be their next head coach. He will be replacing former Lopes head coach Dan Majerle who was let go after a disappointing season for the program. Bryce Drew was fired after three up and down seasons with Vanderbilt He did make the NCAA Tournament in his first year coaching there but his final year saw him go winless in the SEC.
Here’s the official announcement from Grand Canyon: Bryce Drew is the new coach at GCU. https://t.co/cI6abb91Wz
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 17, 2020
Grand Canyon President Brian Mueller released the following statement about the hiring. “We are unbelievably excited to have Bryce Drew lead our basketball program into its next phase of development,” Bryce built a very successful mid-major program at Valparaiso and proved he can recruit at a high level at Vanderbilt, but most importantly, he embodies the Christian mission of the university in how he lives his life both on and off the court.”
Drew did have some struggles to end his tenure at Vanderbilt, but he had a solid recruiting class. The Darius Garland injury likely had a large impact on the team’s record in his final season. When Bryce Drew was fired there was a fairly large outcry that he wasn’t given enough time with the program. The move is clearly a low risk and high reward move for the Lopes.
Drew was a phenomenal head coach at Valparaiso and could recreate similar success with the Grand Canyon Lopes. This could be a perfect match for the program and the head coach. The Lopes are commonly known for their amazing environment and passionate fan base. This could very well be the beginning of a beautiful partnership.
