SAN ANTONIO (WOOD) — When Drew Valentine was considering leaving Oakland University for an assistant coaching job at Loyola-Chicago, he sought the advice of one his closest friends and mentors in the business.
“We talked a lot about it and I thought it was a great move for him,” said Michigan assistant coach Saddi Washington.
Like Valentine, Washington grew up in Lansing and starred at Lansing Sexton High School. After a successful career as a player at Western Michigan, he got into coaching.
One of the players he coached was Valentine while the two were at Oakland.
“Knowing how much sacrifice he made for me as a player to help me get better as a man, dude used to help me with my homework,” Valentine said.
That kind of commitment is what made them close. They talk often, but now they have a date in the Final Four set for Saturday night.
FULL STORY: WOOD TV