Jerry Stackhouse is going from the NBA sidelines to the NCAA sidelines. The Memphis Grizzlies’ assistant has been hired by Vanderbilt to take over the reins after firing Bryce Drew. The contract is for six years, and Vanderbilt has made a pledge to improve facilities and increase the budget for assistant coaching salaries.
Jerry Stackhouse has some connection to the Vanderbilt administration. New Athletic Director, Malcolm Turner, is the former president of the NBA’s G League. Stackhouse is a former G League coach and was named the G League’s Coach of the Year in 2017 after leading his Raptors 905 team to a G League title. Stackhouse gave a glowing statement about the Vanderbilt program:
“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.”
Stackhouse was an 18-year veteran in the NBA before taking on coaching and at only 44 years old, Stackhouse has a lot of coaching years ahead of him. The state of Tennessee now has two former NBA Superstars in college head coaching roles. Penny Hardaway was named the Memphis Tigers’ head coach last year and has already garnered a commitment from James Wiseman, the top player in the 2019 class.
