Jerry Stackhouse appears close to being named the new head basketball coach at Vanderbilt. The 44-year-old former NBA All-Star has been an NBA assistant and G-League head coach since 2015 after a 19-year NBA career.
Here’s what you need to know about Stackhouse and his potential landing spot at Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt fired Bryce Drew
Vanderbilt fired coach Bryce Drew after three dismal seasons. Drew posted an awful record of 40-59 (.404), including a 9-23 record this season with a 0-18 mark in the SEC. The school decided that was enough and canned him.
Stackhouse can coach
Stackhouse was an assistant for the Toronto Raptors beginning in 2015. He took over as the team’s D-League/G-League coach in 2016 and was in the position through 2018. He was named the NBA D-League Coach of the Year in 2017.
The Memphis Grizzlies snatched him up before the 2018-19 season and he’s been an assistant coach for the franchise this season.
He’s also done work with Team USA in the past.
Stackhouse is a North Carolina legend
Stackhouse was incredible in college at North Carolina. He was a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-ACC in 1995. He played for Dean Smith and teamed with future NBA players Rasheed Wallace, Jeff McInnis and Shammond Williams during his time with the Tar Heels. He helped lead them to the Final Four in 1995, was named Sports Illustrated’s National Player of the Year and promptly declared for the 1995 NBA Draft.
He has an Oak Hill connection
Stackhouse played his senior year of high school at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. The legendary basketball factory could be fertile recruiting grounds to mine for Vanderbilt.
The Commodores had a brush with elite recruiting with the addition of five-stars Darius Garland and Simi Shittu in the 2018 class. But Vanderbilt has never been a consistent destination for top players. Being plugged in at Oak Hill could help Stackhouse make inroads there.
