The sweet sound of the victory bell cut the air on Wednesday afternoon during a gorgeous spring day on the campus of Valparaiso University.

The ringer of that bell was none other than Roger Powell Jr., who just hours earlier had been formally introduced as the 23^rd head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. Sure, this ringing of the historic bell, which sits outside of the Athletics-Recreation Center, was part of a promotional video shoot. But the moment was also fitting, as ringing the victory bell has long been customary for Valpo Athletics teams following a big win.

And Roger Powell Jr. had just notched his first big win in his new role. He owned the press conference, and he did so in a convincing and inspiring manner. As attendees exited the ARC following the festivities, many of them – regardless of age or athletic ability – were so moved by his words that they were ready to lace up their own basketball shoes and take the court.  

“I’m driven by vision and purpose,” Powell said. “Faith is extremely important to me, and our players will experience that. I have a huge vision for this program. I have a big-time belief for where we can go. That’s a major part of what our program will stand on. Our families will be a part of this program. I’m going to love my guys deeply, and sometimes that love is going to be hard. My responsibility is to help them reach their maximum potential. I’m huge into development. Another thing you will see when we step foot on this court is grit. To win this league, we’re going to have to get muddy and have a gritty mentality.”

Powell’s first win as a head coach may have come at the podium, but he brings a track record of victories that occurred on the basketball floor with him to his new position. To be exact, he enjoyed 121 such successes against just 13 losses during his four seasons as an assistant coach at Gonzaga, which featured a national championship game appearance. “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled would be a fitting soundtrack to Powell’s basketball journey, as he was part of three Big Ten regular-season titles, two Big Ten Tournament crowns and three Sweet Sixteen berths during his playing career at Illinois, which featured a 37-2 season and national title game appearance in 2005.

Wednesday wasn’t exactly a “welcome” to Powell, but the more apt description would be “welcome back.” His coaching career started as part of Bryce Drew’s Valpo staff from 2011-2016. As Valpo fans fondly recall, the theme of winning that has been apparent at every stop along the way for Powell was crystal clear during his first stint sitting on the home bench inside the ARC. The team won 124 games in five seasons including two NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the title game of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

As part of the aforementioned run to the NIT title game in the final season of Powell’s first stint at Valpo, the team defeated Florida State and Saint Mary’s at the ARC. Following the St. Mary’s win, Powell led the sellout crowd in prayer. The photo of that moment has become iconic in Valpo lore, and that picture tells a story worth 1,000 words of Powell’s Valpo vision encompassing faith, family, winning basketball and excitement in the ARC.

Throughout his remarks and interviews on Thursday, Powell made this crystal clear – he’s back to attend to unfinished business. As he stood before a large gathering of special guests at Wednesday’s press conference – and looked into the camera to connect with many more watching from home – Powell began to author this new chapter, and did so with the support of the Valpo Family behind him.