IOWA CITY, IA - - University of Iowa basketball Coach Todd Lickliter has named LaVall Jordan and Chad Walthall as assistant coaches on his basketball staff.  The hiring of Jordan and Walthall was announced Thursday and becomes effective immediately. 

 Jordan joins the Iowa staff from Butler University, where he was an assistant under Lickliter.  Walthall has been the head basketball coach at Loras College the past seven years and Director of Athletics for three years. 

 “I’m extremely excited to announce LaVall and Chad as members of our coaching staff,” said Lickliter.  “These are two individuals I have had the opportunity to work with previously.  We share the same values and they are guys I know and trust.  They work very hard to be successful and are both anxious to work for, and represent, the University of Iowa and our basketball program. 

 “I had the opportunity to coach LaVall during his playing career at Butler and was elated when he joined the staff there following his playing career,” added Lickliter.  “Chad and I worked together at Eastern Michigan.  He was a great co-worker and he has done an outstanding job in building a successful program at Loras College.” 

 Jordan served three seasons (2004-07) as a full-time assistant coach at Butler after spending the 2003-04 season as Butler’s coordinator of basketball operations.  Jordan helped the Bulldogs post a 29-7 record in 2006-07.  Butler shared the Horizon League regular season title and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament before a loss to eventual national champion Florida.  Butler won the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament with wins over Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga. 

 Butler led the nation in fewest turnovers per game (9.5), ranked fifth in scoring defense (57.1), seventh in free throw percentage (76%), 13th in won-loss percentage (.806), 17th in scoring margin (10.5) and 20th in three-point field goals per game (8.9). 

 Jordan helped the Bulldogs to a remarkably successful run as a four-year letterman from 1997-2001.  He helped the Bulldogs win three conference tournament titles and two Horizon League regular season championships while participating in four consecutive post-season tournaments. 

 He was a starting guard for the Bulldogs in 2000-01, when Butler won the conference regular season and tournament championships and defeated Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament.  He was named CBS “Player of the Game” in Butler’s second-round contest after scoring 17 points against nationally-ranked Arizona.  He was the first player in Butler basketball history to play in four NCAA Tournament games and he also played in three NIT games.

 Jordan was Butler’s Most Valuable Player in 2000-01.  He was a two-time all-conference performer and was named MVP of the 2001 league championship.  He contributed to 91 victories in four years, a Butler record at the time.  He completed his career in sixth place on Butler’s career list for three-point field goals (151) and currently stands eighth on Butler’s all-time list for three-pointers.  Jordan tallied 977 points, 365 rebounds and 179 assists during his four-year career. 

 After earning a bachelor’s degree journalism in 2001, Jordan played professional basketball in Europe.  He also became the first Butler player to participate in the National Basketball Developmental League, playing for the Huntsville Flight.  Jordan returned to Butler in the fall of 2003 and took over administrative and operational duties for the men’s basketball program. 

 Jordan was born April 16, 1979 and is a native of Albion, MI.  He and his wife, Destinee, have a three-year-old daughter, Ava, and are expecting their second child in October. 

 “My family and I are very excited,” said Jordan.  “Being a native of Michigan, I grew up watching Big Ten basketball.  It’s a great opportunity to coach in the Big Ten Conference at an institution such as the University of Iowa.  I consider Coach Lickliter one of the best coaches in college basketball and we look forward to doing great things here.” 

 Walthall was the 2006-07 Iowa Conference Coach of the Year at Loras.  Loras won its first Iowa Conference title since 1950-51, its sixth overall, with a 15-1 league record. Walthall led Loras to its first IIAC tournament title and first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. He also coached the IIAC Player of the Year (Kyle White) as well as two other all-conference honorees. Walthall collected the 100th win of his coaching career in a Dec. 30 win over Hanover College.  He compiled a 116-69 record at Loras and is the third winningest coach in school history.  In addition to basketball duties, Walthall was named Director of Athletics at Loras in 2004.   

 The 15 conference wins were Loras’ most since re-joining the IIAC in 1986, and the 21 wins are the school’s most since joining Division III that same year. The Duhawks held conference opponents under their season scoring average in all 16 league games and led the conference in scoring defense (61.1), scoring margin (+9.2), field goal percentage defense (40.6 percent) and rebounding margin (+5.4). 

 In Walthall’s first season of rebuilding the program (2000-01), Loras dramatically improved with a fourth place finish.  Since that time Walthall has progressively built Loras into a perennial league contender and one of the top NCAA Div. III West Region teams. 

 Walthall led Loras to winning seasons in the tough Iowa Conference in each of his seven seasons.  Over the past three seasons, Loras has won 77% of its league games, and 70% of all games, including 11-game winning streaks in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

 Loras posted a 22-3 home record over the past two seasons, winning the conference regular season and tournament titles on its home floor in 2006-07. In addition to leading the Duhawks to success on the court, Walthall focused on helping his players make a difference off the court.   Walthall implemented several community outreach programs in the Dubuque area over the past seven years. 

 Walthall took over the Loras program after serving as an assistant coach, along with Lickliter, at Eastern Michigan (1998-00).  He was a graduate assistant coach at Saint Cloud State University for two years (1991-93), head high school boys coach at Redwood Valley HS in Redwood Valley, MN for one season (1993-94) and an assistant coach at Saint Olaf College for four years (1994-98). 

 Walthall attended Concordia, MN College, earning a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1991.  He earned his master's degree in athletics administration (1993) from Saint Cloud State. 

 As a collegian, Walthall led Concordia College to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) football championship in 1990 as the starting quarterback, as well as earning all-conference honors in that sport as a junior and senior.  He was a student assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Concordia for two years. 

 Walthall was born Sept. 13, 1968 and is a native of Staples, MN.  He and his wife, Jen, have four children, a daughter Brooke (six), twin sons Brady and Blake (four), and son Beau, who is less than one year old. 

 “I was at a unique place in Loras College, a place that I gained a great affection for,” said Walthall.  “I consider the chance to work with Coach Lickliter a special opportunity.  To be able to join him at a program such as Iowa, is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  I’m anxious to get started and excited to be part of the Hawkeye family.” 

The hiring of Jordan and Walthall leaves one assistant coaching position to be filled.  Lickliter did not name a time frame for completing his staff.