WELCOME COACH VALENTINE

[mnbonnie]

per SBu Unfurled.....St Bonaventure has hired Dana Valentine as assistant men's basketball coach.  Maybe I should say belated welcome, Coach Valentine has more than gotten his feet wet already, according to sources, he played a big role in recruiting Charles Pride, Duane Thompson and Mika Adaams-Wood.  Prior to St Bonaventure, Coach Valentine was an Asst basketball coach at Putnam Science Academy in CT.

I cut and pasted this from Chuck's contribution to a closely related thread,  thought this welcome needed a bit more.

Meteoric rise in becoming an assistant coach at Bona.
— Played football and not basketball.
— Wanted to be a coach in basketball after a couple years working for the government.
— Volunteered at Notre Dame Prep.
— This led to an assistant coach position where he has been the last 4 seasons.

In just 5 years he went from being a volunteer to assistant coach at Bona. By the way he is described as a great recruiter.

Looking at Dana's brief profile as a running back at Worchester State, he was listed as 6' 200, his picture in that profile, looks every bit the part of a coach, right out of central casting.

Pretty exciting!

[Chuck]

Attached is link to Putnam’s 2021-22 Media Guide. On page 15 is a profile of Dana Valentine. On page 25 is profile of the players; Barry Evans, Duane Thompson and Miles Rose. Information above (cut and pasted by MN) I gathered from this media guide.

After volunteering at Notre Dame Prep, Dana spent 5 years at Putnam. Putnam has 3 levels of basketball with Prep, Elite and Varsity. Dana spent 3 years at Varsity, before being moved up to Prep as an assistant coach. Nick Schmidt replaced him at varsity.

At the Prep level, Dana was more involved with recruiting. Dana made a significant difference in Putnam’s talent level. 5 years ago with Kyle and Osun leading Putnam to their first national title, Putnam had just 2 starters receiving P-6 offers with Akok and Osun. Altogether Putnam had 7 players receiving 28 P-6 offers, which doesn't include Miles who was a starter. Much of this loaded talent for Putnam can be attributed to Dana.

Dana’s rapid rise to becoming a D-1 assistant coach is due to his impressive recruiting skills. Future looks very promising with Dana as an assistant.

irp.cdn-website.com/0909e9e1/files/uploaded/21-22%20Mustang%20Program.pdf

[wgt]

Men's Basketball Adds Dana Valentine To Coaching Staff
5/17/2023 | Men's Basketball
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - Head coach Mark Schmidt has announced the addition of Dana Valentine to the St. Bonaventure men's basketball coaching staff. Valentine will serve as an assistant coach beginning with the 2023-24 season.

"Dana is a young, up-and-coming coach and we are really lucky to be able to have someone of his caliber joining our program," Schmidt said. "He has a lot of recruiting ties and is extremely well-connected in the New York/New Jersey and New England areas and has a great understanding of how the recruiting process works. He has also been key to an incredible run of success at Putnam Science Academy. He's going to be a really good mentor to our young guys and will work closely with our wing players. We're really excited about having him join us."

Valentine comes to Western New York after serving on staff at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. He helped guide Putnam to back-to-back prep national championships as an assistant coach with the Mustangs, working with all aspects of one of the nation's best prep programs.

This past season, Valentine helped to lead Putnam to a 39-3 record and a 21-game winning streak en route to the fourth national championship in school history, all coming in the last six seasons. The previous year, Putnam went 38-0 on the way to the national title.

In addition to working as an assistant with the prep team, Valentine also worked as compliance director/travel coordinator and was the varsity team's head coach from 2018-21.

His roles at Putnam saw him work with Mustangs student-athletes both on and off the court as he also ensured that students were meeting NCAA academic requirements while supporting their transition to the next level through the college admission process.

Prior to his arrival at Putnam, he was an assistant on the staff at Notre Dame Prep in 2016 and 2017 and also coached with AAU New England from 2016-21, serving as head coach of the 15U team, assistant coach for the 16U and 17U squads and was the program's recruiting coordinator.

Valentine was a collegiate football student-athlete at Worcester State University including his junior season when he rushed for 674 yards and six touchdowns as a running back. He is originally a native of Roxbury, Mass.

He joins assistants Sean Neal and Chris Lowe as well as director of operations Matt Pappano and video coordinator Colden Dwaileebe on Schmidt's staff.

[Dunga]

This is from the PSA Media Program (2021-22). Thought everyone would want to read it. Thanks to Chuck for finding this and posting the link above.

Dana Valentine
ASSISTANT COACH
4th year at PSA

By late summer 2018, Dana Valentine had been working his full-time job at the Governor's Office in Massachusetts as part of Charlie Baker's staff for nearly a year. However, he knew months earlier that it wasn't really for him.

He worked in Constituent Services, which is a fancy way of saying he took "phone calls from people all over the state complaining that there's a pothole here, there are protesters there, or people having problems with Governor Baker's comments about whatever topic they had problems with. Anything and everything that people would complain about." Valentine said.

"Adults are a lot harder to deal with than children. That, and wearing a shirt and tie every day quickly made me realize that wasn't my lane. Governor Baker is a real down-to-earth guy, we had some good conversations about a lot of different things. However, it wasn't my thing."

Coaching basketball, however, was. Valentine played football in high school and college, but he understood basketball at a deeper level. He had coached some AAU programs and he helped out at Notre Dame Prep before it relocated out of nearby Fitchburg, Mass. He was ready to take a leap of faith without any real plan and get serious about it, leaving his stable job for a chance to coach.

It wasn't long before he got a call from PSA Athletic Director Tom Espinosa, who needed a coach for the school's Varsity team. Valentine jumped at the opportunity that basically started the next day, and he finds himself now in his fourth season with the Mustangs, entrenched as an integral piece of the program's success. "He's done a great job," Espinosa said. "He does a great job with all the teams and it's not easy, because you're dealing with a lot of kids who think they should be on the prep team and he's got to handle all that plus coach them on the floor. The kids really like him and really respect him. He's been a great addition to our program."

Valentine is now an assistant coach on PSA's Prep team. The 29-year-old also has close interaction with the Elite and Varsity teams, as he is a regular at practice and assists with individual player workouts throughout the day. Being able to turn on pretty much any college basketball game on any given night and seeing someone he has coached or has coached against on the floor is a big perk of the job for him. There is so much more to it.

Valentine grew up in Roxbury, MA., which is inner city Boston, but was part of the METCO program (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) - a school integration program that emolls Boston students of color in high-performing, predominately white public schools in the suburbs - from first grade through high school graduation.

"That definitely opened my eyes that there was a lot more out there for me and for the people back at home," Valentine said. "I just think that there is so much talent in the inner cities, and not just in terms of athletics. Talent in guys and girls who don't have the same opportunities and resources available. The people I am friends with in Roxbury don't have a computer lab in their school or all the textboolks that we had at Cohasset High School. To see the things that people were able to accomplish without having the same opportunities as me, it motivates me to help people in those situations get those resources and to have opportunities to get in touch with those resources."

"I just want guys who might be in a similar situation that I was in to have the same opportunities to change their lives and their families' lives. That's not to say they are the only people who need the help or opportunities, but I feel that there is such an abundance of talent in different areas who need those opportunities. As I got down the line and finished school, I thought that I could help younger guys do the same thing. The fact that you can impact these guys and send someone to the NBA or send a guy to these high-level schools where they don't have to pay for college, that was one of the big attractions."

When it is time for basketball, Valentine sets a standard and holds his players accountable for their actions. He is an intense and demanding coach.

"Life isn't all about basketball, but in between those lines, a different switch goes off," he said. "We rachet it up to a different level of intensity and attention to detail that you need to bring. As their coach, I have to set a standard and hold them accountable for those things. Accountability is one of the biggest things that I am about."

Says Darryl Simmons: "He loves to win and hates losing, so he wants everyone to play hard, dive for loose balls, communicate. He's demanding."

That coaching style works for Valentine and his players because of the off-court relationships that he builds.

"Coach Dana is someone you want to be around," Simmons said. "He's a leader. He always tells us that it's bigger than basketball and to control what you can control. You have to have the mindset that he can be hard on you, but it's because he cares, and that it's going to be better for you in the long run."

Said Valentine, "A lot of our kids come from underprivileged situations. The kids are mostly African-American kids from different cities around the country," Valentine said. "To have someone who comes from where they come from and looks how they look and knows the language, I just think it's important for those guys to feel a sense of comfort and home. I think I can give some guys that level of comfort in addition to the basketball piece. I can provide a different perspective and be a person to bounce things off of. It's more for the students and athletes."

irp.cdn-website.com/0909e9e1/files/uploaded/21-22%20Mustang%20Program.pdf

[bub]

What a big time coaching hire. A young, energetic, ambitious coach who's main strength right now appears to be recruiting. I get the feeling that the players are going to love this guy.

By the way, ex Mass gov Charlie Baker, who he worked for, is now the President of the NCAA

[ceharv]

A-HA! This guy NEVER PLAYED college hoops! This is clearly an indication that Bona football is on it’s way back as he can coach on that staff as well😉 Be ready for that announcement to be made soon.🤣

[ceharv]

A-HA! This guy NEVER PLAYED college hoops! So what does that mean? This is clearly an indication that Bona football is on it’s way back as he can coach on that staff as well😉 Be ready for that announcement to be made soon.🤣

[wgt]

Dana has been an integral factor in recruiting & motivating PSA players who won the National Prep Championship the last two years.

Look forward to the added excitement PSA's Dana, Miles and Duane will bring to the RC this Fall.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKLmffBkwzk Video of PSA's run to their 2-23 National Championship.

[ceharv]

This morning I followed a google link to Hoopdirt.com which had an article on the hiring of Valentine. I wasn’t aware of Hoopdirt but obviously this hiring has made waves nationally. Couldn’t figure out a way to link it here - sorry.

[Chuck]

Putnam’s basketball message board has several testimonials to Dana Valentine. Here are a few.

Andrew Slater “Many people promise a player or two to get a job and never fulfill. Dana has already delivered 3. The Bonnies & Woj are getting a shark.”

PSA Hoops “You changed so many lives in the big city of Putnam. You changed mine. You changed this program. 15 years doing this, I’ve never seen anyone do what you do. Our players felt at home because of Dan Valentine. Bonnies just got the best get in the portal in ’23.”

Doug Scott of Recruit the Bronx “Dana Valentine hasn’t even gotten his key to the men’s room yet, But he’s out already making his mark.”

Nick Schmidt “Gonna miss my guy! Not many work harder than Dana Valentine”
twitter.com/PSAhoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor


I wonder how much of a role Nick Schmidt played in Valentine’s hiring.

[mnbonnie]

Good question Chuck.
From A10_Vault this morning via Twitter, noting  that they were going to be sitting down with  Coach Valentine and Coach Schmidt would be doing an interview, best I could make of the tweet was sometime soon.

ON another thread there was a reference to "best summer......" About being excited with this group and this coach, can't say enough about what I think Coach Valentine will bring to Bonaventure. Coach Schmidt said that amongst other things Coach Valentine would work with the wings; I guess I take that to be Charles Pride, Yann Farrell, Barry Evans, Duane Thompson and probably Miles Rose, what a boost for your young, talented bunch. The group I would call the "future core" of Bona basketball.

I don't know if there have been any "sightings" as to who may be on campus for summer session one which is already in progress.

While I'm guessing he may be very busy, if you're able to stop by campus, maybe duck your head in and say hello to Coach Valentine.

[wgt]

No doubt Coach Valentine would appreciate the personal welcome.

[maplehurst]

First order of business for Coach Valentine is to strengthen the schedule. I saw Bonas' is going to play Akron in a doubleheader where Ohio State and WVU also play. We need to schedule the likes of those other teams, not Akron. Get just a couple of state universities on the schedule. Come Selection Sunday it may be important.

[mnbonnie]

There is clearly a disconnect here. A) This thread ia bout welcoming our new Coach Dana Valentine. Got a welcome message? great B) what does a brand new assistant coach got to due with scheduling. I know he wore a lot of hats at Putnam, but I don't recall scheduling was one of them. C). Think the schedule should be beefed up, so do a lot of people who post here. Their is an adage that you have to crawl before you walk. Our Lofton, Osun, Adaway, Welch and Holmes built a record of winning, that eventually lead to our invite to Charleston, we also played UConn and Va Teach that year, but our preseason ranking made us a team that P6 teams would consider playing. Coach Schmit and our operations person, have labored long and hard to get P6 teams to play us. We can "want" all we want till we are blue in the face. With Ok State/ND/Auburn, we'll get two likely P6 opponents, FAU is already ranked in the top 20, if not top 10. The Akron game IMO is as much about exposure to the NE Ohio a possible area for recruiting with an ex Bona player, Bremer, I think a hs coach in the Cleveland metro, likewise their are a lot of kids in NE Ohio, it's a three and half hour trip, good distance from home to Bonaventure. I am looking for real improvement this year, but I'm uncertain I want to venture into a full blown challenge for all of our non conference games. Like it or not we lost to Siena, Canisus and Gulf Coast last year. First off, let's continue the scheduling beff elsewhere. Crawl, then walk, the run.

[wgt]

Players DANA has been involved with.

Putnam Science MBB
@psahoops
·
May 19
2023 Loading… 🔥
Connor Dubsky - URI 🐏
Tarique Foster - 👀
Blake Barkley - Northwestern 🐱
Miles Rose - Bonnies 🐺
Mouhamed Dioubate - Alabama 🐘
Buddy Simmons - G Webb 🐶
Will Lovings-Watts - NIU 🐕
Duane Thompson - Bonnies 🐺
Baye Ndongo - Georgia Tech 🐝