CHICAGO (April 3, 2021) – Porter Moser, who has spent the last 10 seasons as the head men's basketball coach at Loyola University Chicago, re-energizing a fan base, while leading the program to unprecedented heights, has been named head men's basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma, it was announced today. Over the last four seasons, Moser piloted the Ramblers to a 99-36 (.733) overall record, three Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships, a NCAA Final Four appearance, a NCAA Sweet 16 berth and a trip to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
"It is impossible to properly thank Porter for all he's done for our basketball program and University," Loyola Director of Athletics
Steve Watson said. "His vision and leadership brought Loyola to new heights and Ramblers everywhere will be eternally grateful. A huge thank you and best wishes, from all Ramblers, are rightfully being extended to Porter and his family as they embark on their next journey."
In 10 seasons in Rogers Park, Moser compiled a 188-141 (.571) overall mark and steered the Ramblers to five seasons with 20 or more victories, as well as to the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) championship in 2014-15, the program's first postseason appearance since 1984-85. He and his staff recruited and developed three MVC Player of the Year award winners over the last four seasons –
Clayton Custer (2018),
Marques Townes (2019) and
Cameron Krutwig (2021) - with Custer and Townes taking home Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors and Krutwig being tabbed Associated Press Third Team All-America.
Moser's five 20-win campaigns are the most ever by a Loyola head coach and his 188 victories rank third in program annals, behind only George Ireland (321) and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member Lenny Sachs (223). Prior to Moser's arrival on campus, Loyola had produced just one 20-win season in 26 years (21 wins in 2006-07) and in four trips to the postseason under him, Loyola compiled an impressive 11-3 (.786) record.
Defense was the calling card for Moser's teams at Loyola and this season the Ramblers led the nation in scoring defense (56.1 ppg). Over the last four years, Loyola has ranked in the top six in NCAA Division I play in scoring defense three times, while also ranking among the nation's top 10 teams in field goal percentage.
The 2017-18 season was one Loyola faithful and college basketball fans across the country will never forget. Moser masterfully led his squad to a school-record 32 wins and a trip to the NCAA Final Four, just the second time in school history, and first since 1963, that the Ramblers reached the national semifinals. Loyola finished that year ranked No. 7 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll and Moser was hailed as the MVC Coach of the Year.
This year, Moser guided the Ramblers through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to a 26-5 overall record, a school-record 16 conference wins, as well as MVC regular-season and tournament championships, and a national ranking of No. 16 in the Coaches Poll and No. 17 in the AP Top 25 Poll. Loyola, which earned the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region, advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 thanks to victories over Georgia Tech and top-seeded and second-ranked Illinois before bowing out with a loss to Oregon State in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals.
