One week after longtime Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger retired, the Sooners have found his replacement.
The Big 12 school officially named former Loyola Chicago coach Porter Moser, 52, as its new head coach. Sources said Moser was offered a 6-year deal in the neighborhood of $2.5-3 million annually and that Loyola offered Moser a 10-year deal and a pay raise. Moser was said to be on the fence before making his decision. Marquette had also been interested in Moser before ultimately hiring former Texas coach Shaka Smart.
Our family is so excited and honored to join the Sooner family, said Moser in a statement. Joe Castiglione has a reputation for building championship programs at the University of Oklahoma. I've always said there are reasons why you win. If you look at the standards that the programs at Oklahoma have set, there are reasons why they've won. The coaches, infrastructure and community are all championship caliber. You just want to be a part of that. To play in a premiere league like the Big 12 and be a part of this championship culture excites me.
I have so much respect for Coach Kruger. He's one of the icons of our profession. The fact that he was at Oklahoma shows that OU covets character. He's everything that young coaches should aspire to. He's all about winning the right way. I look forward to continuing that blueprint and continuing the blueprint we had at Loyola: winning the right way.
Moser went 188-140 (.573) in 10 seasons at Loyola and led the Ramblers on a historic run to the Final Four in 2018 and then a Sweet 16 appearance this season.
He now leaves the Missouri Valley Conference, where Loyola finished first in three of the last four seasons, for the Big 12 where he will be swimming with sharks.
The conference this season put seven teams into the NCAA Tournament, including Oklahoma, which lost in the second round, and Baylor, which is in the Final Four.
The Moser news comes on the same day Kansas signed Bill Self to a lifetime contract and one day after Texas hired Chris Beard away from Big 12 rival Texas Tech.
The Moser development caps a huge week in the coaching carousel in which long time North Carolina coach Roy Williams announced his retirement.
We are absolutely thrilled to announce and welcome Porter Moser as our next great OU head coach, said Castiglione. As we dug deep into the backgrounds of candidates, his attributes, acumen and record of success totally aligned with what we were seeking. He's a purposeful and proven leader who prioritizes positive culture, accountability, academics, player development, innovation, transparent communication and a holistic approach to the student-athlete experience.
Porter is also a bright, energetic and tireless recruiter who will similarly engage all stakeholders related to the future success of Oklahoma men's basketball. His wife Megan, daughter Jordan and sons Jake, Max and Ben complete an all-star team and are emblematic of the family environment and values he wants to carry on within our program. We can't wait to get them to campus.
Loyola Chicago is expected to offer its head coaching job to Moser assistant Drew Valentine.
Drew has a great coaching pedigree with his father being a coach and then working under two of the best coaches in the game in Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe, Moser said on the schools Website. Drew is a winner and has played a key role with successful programs, helping Oakland to the NCAA Tournament as a player and then assisting with Michigan States run to the Final Four. He made an immediate impact at Oakland and helped elevate that program into a perennial top team in the Horizon League. Drew is a high-energy individual and is a rising star in this profession.
This post was updated with the official hiring on Saturday.
