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March Madness: Vanderbilt names ex-NBA star Jerry Stackhouse new coach

By Alex Butler
Jerry Stackhouse coached for two seasons in the NBA G League before joining the Memphis Grizzlies staff as an assistant this season. Photo courtesy of Raptors 905/YouTube
Jerry Stackhouse coached for two seasons in the NBA G League before joining the Memphis Grizzlies staff as an assistant this season. Photo courtesy of Raptors 905/YouTube

April 5 (UPI) -- Former NBA star Jerry Stackhouse was named the new men's basketball coach at Vanderbilt Friday, following the school's dismissal of Bryce Drew.

Stackhouse, 44, played 18 seasons in the NBA and was named an All-Star twice during his tenure for the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets.

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He coached the NBA G League's Raptors 905 for two seasons before being hired as an assistant coach by the Memphis Grizzlies this season. Stackhouse posted a 70-30 record as coach of Raptors 905, leading the team to its first NBA G League title in 2017. He also led the squad to a championship appearance in 2018.

"I am extremely excited to join the Vanderbilt family and build on the incredible accomplishments of its athletics program and men's basketball program," Stackhouse said in a release from Vanderbilt. "I look forward to furthering Vanderbilt's unique approach to athletics -- blending a powerhouse competitive spirit with elite academics to holistically develop talented student-athletes and celebrate victories on and off the court."

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"I would like to thank [athletic director] Malcolm Turner and chancellor [Nicholas S.] Zeppos for giving me this fantastic opportunity to direct the Vanderbilt men's basketball program into its next great era."

Turner and Zeppos led the search following the school's decision to fire Drew after three seasons.

"The future is bright for the men's basketball team with such an accomplished individual at the helm," Turner said. "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. 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. This is an incredibly exciting moment for Vanderbilt."

Stackhouse averaged 16.9 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game during his NBA career. The Commodores posted a 9-23 record in 2018-2019 and haven't advanced past the first round of the NCAA tournament since 2012.

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