The Valparaiso University Department of Athletics has announced the hiring of Vijay Blackmon as the strength & conditioning coach for the men’s basketball program.

Blackmon will lead all aspects of strength & conditioning for head coach Matt Lottich’s program.

“I am highly motivated and excited to have the opportunity to be a part of Valparaiso Men’s Basketball,” Blackmon said. “I am progress-focused and plan to implement a program based on improving and making results and building relationships with the student-athletes.”

Blackmon arrives at Valpo after serving as the head strength & conditioning coach at Bella Vista College Prep School in Phoenix, Ariz. from October 2021 to April 2022. During that time, he also served as a strength coach intern for the Grand Canyon men’s basketball program, which is under the direction of Valpo legend Bryce Drew.

Blackmon, who also gained experience as a recreational therapist in Bloomington, Ind. from 2018-2020, earned a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy from Indiana University in May 2019 and a master’s in health sciences from Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Mo. in May 2021. He is expected to graduate from Grand Canyon in May 2024 with a Ph.D. in performance psychology.

Blackmon is a former men’s basketball student-athlete who played at Saint Francis, Indiana University and Lindenwood. He was a member of the Hoosiers’ program in 2017-18 and 2018-19, appearing in seven games and earning Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2018-19. The Indiana native scored 1,500 high school points at Marion, where he was coached by his father James Blackmon Sr. Blackmon was an Indiana Junior All-Star and graduated with an honors diploma.