Longwood men’s basketball coach Griff Aldrich announced the addition of Matt Sholtis and Michael Crowder to the men’s basketball staff.
 
Sholtis joins the staff as an Assistant Coach with a strong background of success, and Crowder was named the Managing Director—Culture Formation and Program Development.
 
In addition, he also announced promotions of Myo Baxter-Bell to Assistant Coach-Player Development, Odri Dedolli to Assistant Coach-Analytics & Technology and Joe Lupetin to Assistant Coach-Administration.
 
“I am extremely pleased to welcome Matt and Michael onto the staff,” said Aldrich. “At Longwood Basketball, we firmly believe our program will only be as strong as our people. Both Matt and Michael are extremely high-caliber men who will significantly impact our program and community for years to come.”
 
Most recently, Sholtis worked at Vanderbilt as the program’s director of operations following three years in the same role at James Madison.
 
“I couldn’t be more excited to join Coach Aldrich and his staff here at Longwood,” said Sholtis. “Coach Aldrich has built something really special here in Farmville, and I cannot wait to add to that excellence.”
 
While at James Madison, he helped lead the Dukes to their most successful season in years. In his final season, he helped the team win a school-record 32 games and advance to the NCAA Tournament, and JMU had a winning record in each of his three years.
 
Over three seasons, JMU won 69 games and finished in the top 100 of the NCAA NET in each of his last two seasons.
 
Prior to JMU, Sholtis worked in multiple roles in the men’s basketball program at Charlotte. He oversaw the entirety of the program’s video operation as the team’s Director of Scouting in his final season there, and he also helped in the program’s recruiting process.
 
Sholtis holds both his bachelor’s degree and his master’s degree from Charlotte.
 
Crowder joins the Lancer basketball staff after serving in a mentorship role with the team while also working with Young Life programs in Southside Virginia.
 
“I am extremely excited about joining the coaching staff at Longwood University,” Crowder said. “As someone who has proudly called this community home for the past eight years, I am deeply honored to be part of a program surrounded by talented players, dedicated coaches, and a supportive community. I am thankful to Coach Griff for such an incredible opportunity to make a significant impact on the growth and success of the men’s basketball program by investing in the lives our our players and helping build this program futher. My family and I could not be happier about this new chapter.”
 
Crowder connected with men’s basketball in 2020 and spent time as a character coach over the next three years, providing mentorship and guidance for players and coaches to help balance athletics, academics and personal matters. In that capacity, he helped the coaching staff integrate character-building initiatives into the basketball program.
 
“The addition of Michael Crowder is a special opportunity for our program,” Aldrich added. “Since joining this community in 2018, we have longed to build a program that will significantly transform the lives of our staff and players—and by extension our community. Having a gifted staff member specifically dedicated to that core priority will be of tremendous value to our staff—and ultimately—our players.”
 
Since 2016, Crowder worked with Young Life, leading and developing programs throughout the region. Primarily, he worked on the Longwood and nearby Hampden-Sydney College campuses while planning and executing events and recruiting and training volunteer leaders.
 
Crowder lives in Farmville with his wife, Liz, and their sons, Jack and Henry. He holds his bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in religious studies from the University of Virginia.

https://longwoodlancers.com/news/2024/9/19/mens-basketball-aldrich-announces-promotions-and-additions-to-staff.aspx