NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt went outside college sports to find its new athletic director a few months ago, and now the Commodores have taken the same tact hiring Memphis Grizzlies assistant and former NBA star Jerry Stackhouse as their men’s basketball coach.
Athletic director Malcolm Turner announced the hiring Friday. Stackhouse will try to revive a program that just went through its worst season ever at 9-23, with the Commodores finishing on a 20-game skid and becoming the first Southeastern Conference men’s basketball team to go winless in league play in 65 years. If that’s not a big enough challenge, two of the team’s most highly recruited players, Darius Garland and Simisola Shittu, are both leaving early for the NBA.
The 44-year-old Stackhouse will be introduced at a news conference Monday, and Turner said in a release announcing the hire that the future is bright for the Commodores with their new coach.
“Jerry brings a unique mix of experience as a legendary player and successful coach, and I fully expect he’ll take the program to new heights,” Turner said. “I’ve spoken with people inside and outside both college and professional basketball, and there is unanimous agreement that Jerry’s competitiveness, grit and tireless focus on player development are a perfect fit to advance the ‘Vanderbilt Way’ in college athletics.”
Stackhouse is the first black head coach for men’s basketball at Vanderbilt. The school is the only Power Five program with a black athletic director, football coach (Derek Mason) and men’s basketball coach.