Sometimes opportunities come once in a lifetime, and Connor Wolf, a 2017 graduate of Valparaiso High School, has encountered one of those opportunities. Wolf, who also graduated from Purdue University this past spring with double major degrees in actuarial sciences and applied statistics, will be attending Baylor University in the fall of this year. Wolf will be completing a master’s degree in sport pedagogy.
Along with studying in the master’s program, Wolf will be working alongside former Valparaiso University Basketball Coach Scott Drew at Baylor University. Baylor University is one of the nation’s top NCAA basketball teams and the team won the 2020-2021 NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournament. Wolf will be a part of the Sports Analytics Department at Baylor University, which is a new and exciting experience for him.
“Alongside loving sports, I have always considered myself a numbers guy,” said Wolf. “The education I received at Purdue was very statistics and math-heavy, and the jobs I was looking at for the actuarial science degree I just was not all that excited about. That's when I came across the idea of sports analytics. It seemed like a perfect match for me, pairing numbers and sports just combined to my advantage."
Sports pedagogy includes learning about coaching and teaching, in which Wolf takes interest. His dream is to coach for a college basketball program in the future. He is using the opportunity with the Sports Analytics Department to see what he can take from Baylor. This includes national champion advice and tips from legendary basketball coach Scott Drew.
“Honestly, it still doesn't feel real yet. Everyone that I have talked to that has a personal relationship with Coach Drew has never had a bad thing to say about him. Everyone always talks about how positive he is and what a great person he is. I know one of the things he puts emphasis on at Baylor is his faith, and that is also important to me,” said Wolf. “I’m just so excited to learn under someone that is not only a hall of fame coach but also a great person.”
Wolf received a 100% tuition scholarship to the Graduate School of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation. He will begin working in the basketball program once he arrives on campus in the coming weeks. This opportunity will allow Wolf to follow his passions and pick up some pointers from Coach Drew.