The Valparaiso University Department of Athletics has announced plans for its inaugural Coaches Bus Tour, which will take place on Wednesday, July 12.

Head coaches from every Valpo program and members of the Valpo Athletics staff will tour The Region to help generate buzz for the upcoming 2023-2024 athletics season and promote ticket sales.

“I am excited about the opportunity to engage the community and our external stakeholders through our bus tour, which will become an annual staple for our department,” Director of Athletics Dr. Charles Small said. “We cannot wait to cultivate key relationships and interact with fans during a memorable and impactful day for Valpo Athletics.”

Two of the stops on the tour will be public appearances open to one and all. The first public appearance will be a live radio remote at DOC’s Smokehouse in Dyer, Indiana. An hour-long coaches’ show will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will air on AM 1230 WJOB and JED-TV.

A Head Coaches Meet & Greet will take place at Zao Island in Valparaiso from 5:30-7 p.m. The event will feature giveaways, opportunities for autographs, photos with mascots Beacon & Blaze and a Q&A session. A free $10 arcade card and t-shirt will be given away to the first 50 children in attendance.

The two public stops on the tour will represent an opportunity for fans to have personalized access to each of the department’s head coaches, including the new head coach of the men’s basketball program, Roger Powell Jr. Introduced as the program’s 23^rd head coach in April, Powell guided Gonzaga to a 121-13 record in his four seasons as an assistant coach including a trip to the 2021 national title game. He previously served as an assistant coach at Valpo, helping lead the program to 124 wins in five seasons.

“The community’s support will be a crucial element of our program’s success,” Powell said. “I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of the inaugural Coaches Bus Tour alongside my Valpo head coaching colleagues. We are building something special within our program, and I can’t wait to use this tour as a platform to share that excitement with our fans and friends while building new relationships and rekindling old ones with members of the Northwest Indiana community.”