Josh Loeffler, who has extensive familiarity with the Baltimore hoops scene, was recently named the 22nd head men’s basketball coach at Loyola. He takes over for Tavaras Hardy, who stepped down after six seasons at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
Loeffler, 42, is no stranger to wearing the Loyola logo on his chest, having previously served as an assistant coach for the Greyhounds from 2013-2017. Following his tenure at Loyola, he assumed the role of head coach at Division III Johns Hopkins, where he amassed an impressive 114-27 record from 2017-2023. He worked as an assistant coach at Cincinnati this past season.
“I think this is a thrill. Baltimore has become, aside from the home I grew up in, as much home as any place has been for me,” Loeffler said on Glenn Clark Radio April 4. “Ten years in this city before my stint at Cincinnati this year and I wasn’t really thinking this might be an option, but when it became an opening, there was mutual interest. It started really reminding me of how much I love this place, this city and in many ways, it is almost too good to be true.”
Loeffler has his work cut out for him. The Hounds are coming off a disappointing 7-25 campaign, the program’s most losses in 20 years. Additionally, Loyola hasn’t posted a winning season since 2012-13.
The transfer portal opened last month, meaning coaches across the country are challenged with filling roster needs and retaining their own players. Five Loyola players have already entered the transfer portal. One is Deon Perry, a Baltimore native and the Hounds’ leading scorer this past season.
However, Loeffler can tap into his past experiences when leading Loyola forward as the head coach.
“I hope it just gives me more context. I’ll be aware of some of the programs that we’re facing. I’ll be familiar with some of the coaches in the leagues, some of the styles of play,” Loeffler said. “I do have a familiarity with the type of student-athlete that you recruit at an institution like Loyola, and I have a familiarity with Loyola in general. … Hopefully my learning curve isn’t as steep because I do have a familiarity with this place, with many of these people and with the league that we compete in.”
Loeffler is hoping to replicate his Hopkins success at the Division I level with Loyola. Reaching that goal will come with its own set of challenges for Loeffler since he will have to find a successful formula for the program in the Patriot League, but he is not deterred.
“As a coach, just like in every profession, you have to adapt to the place you’re at. You must make sure what you are doing to try to win basketball games and build a great program and run a great program fits the place you are at,” Loeffler said. “What we did at Hopkins isn’t going to be the exact same as what we do at Loyola because these are two different places with different people and different infrastructures.”
Loeffler is familiar with the local recruiting landscape as he assumes his new role, though, having worked in Baltimore from 2013-2023.
“I do have, I think, good relationships with many stakeholders in the Baltimore basketball scene,” Loeffler said. “But also I was operating from a different place when I was at Hopkins and when I was an assistant here, so the relationship will grow and evolve with everybody around here as I am in this role here as the head coach.”
Loeffler believes Loyola offers players a full experience on and off the court.
“I think it’s a beautiful campus. It’s an amazing school. We have great programs that students and student-athletes want to study as a part of. That’s all at a very high level,” Loeffler said. “From the top down, leadership is excellent. I think when you’re looking at a university and athletic department, you want to evaluate the leadership because, really, the people make these places. … The alignment really stood out. I just think this is one of the warmest, welcoming places to go to college that you could ever experience.”
For more from Loeffler, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletics