Valparaiso University is thrilled to announce that Bryce Drew ’98 will serve as the Commencement speaker for the 2026 ceremony. An icon in the history of Valpo athletics, Drew stands as the most decorated basketball player in the University’s history, a successful coach for the men’s basketball team, and Valpo’s first first-round NBA draft pick.
As a player, Drew led Valpo’s team to four Mid-Continent Conference regular season championships, four tournament titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. He was, at that time, the program leader in points (2,142), three-point field goals (364), and assists (626), and propelled himself into widespread athletic fame in 1998 when he hit “The Shot” in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to beat Ole Miss. That legendary moment gave Valpo its first NCAA Tournament win, and earned Drew an ESPY award. Off campus, he played for the gold-medal winning Team USA at the 1997 World University Games.
“Bryce has made a tremendous impact on our basketball program. He is a Valpo icon,” Roger Powell, men’s basketball coach at Valparaiso University, said. “He means a lot to me personally because he gave me my first coaching opportunity. His legacy will always live at this institution and through those he has mentored, because I learned from him when we were together during my formative years in coaching.”
Graduating in 1998 with a degree in sports management and a minor in business, Drew made Valpo history again after graduation when the Houston Rockets selected him as the 16th pick in that year’s NBA draft. Over the course of his professional basketball career with the Rockets, the Chicago Bulls, and Charlotte and New Orleans Hornets, Drew scored over 1,000 points, made 37% of his three-point shots and earned the Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Award for sportsmanship.
Drew returned to Valpo as an assistant coach prior to the 2005-2006 season and was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2006-2007 season before taking over as head coach of the program in May 2011. In five seasons as head coach, he posted a 124-49 record, winning four Horizon League regular season titles and two Horizon League Tournament championships, and was recognized as Horizon League Coach of the Year three times. He led Valpo to a pair of NCAA Tournaments, as well as the championship game of the 2016 NIT.
Following his time at Valpo, Drew spent three seasons as head coach at Vanderbilt University and recently completed his sixth season as head coach at Grand Canyon University. He has led Grand Canyon to two Western Athletic Conference regular season titles and four WAC Tournament championships, making four trips to the NCAA Tournament and earning the program’s first NCAA Division I Tournament win in 2024.
“Valpo holds such a special place in my heart because it shaped me not only as a player and coach, but as a person,” Drew said. “The faith-centered mission, the relationships and the unforgettable moments I experienced there helped lay the foundation for my life and career. It is truly an honor to return to campus and celebrate this incredible milestone with the Class of 2026. I’m excited to share in their celebration and encourage them as they step into their next chapter.”
Drew is a two-time member of the Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted individually as a student-athlete in 2003 and as a member of the 1997-1998 Sweet Sixteen team in 2009. He was also recognized as one of the 150 most influential people in Valparaiso University history as part of the University’s celebration of its 150th anniversary in 2009. Drew was inducted into the Summit League Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Drew is the son of College Basketball Hall of Fame coach and Valpo basketball coach Homer Drew. He has two siblings: a brother, Scott Drew, head men’s basketball coach at Baylor University, and a sister, Dana, a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year with the University of Toledo. He and his wife, Tara—a professional dancer and choreographer—have one son, Bryson.
Commencement will take place on Saturday, May 16 at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The graduation ceremony for students of the College of Business and College of Arts and Sciences will take place at 9 a.m., followed by the ceremony for students of the College of Business and the College of Nursing and Health Professions at 2 p.m. For details, visit valpo.edu/commencement. Ceremonies will be streamed live on Valpo’s YouTube Channel.
