Vanderbilt fires Jerry Stackhouse one season after winning SEC Coach of the Year

Jerry Stackhouse was a big name hiring for the Vanderbilt Commodores at the time. He's now a big-name firing in the world of college basketball, as Vandy has announced that the Stackhouse era is no more after the Commodores stumbled to a 9-23 record this season.

“I want to thank coach Stackhouse for his competitive spirit and service to this university for the last five years,” Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Storey Lee said in a statement. “I appreciate his care for and attention to our student-athletes as they grew on and off the court. Commodore nation will always remember the ‘memorial magic’ moments we experienced under coach Stackhouse’s leadership. Given his pedigree, experience and love of the game, I look forward to seeing what’s next for him. I wish him, Ramirra and his family nothing but the best in the future.”

Stackhouse came to Vanderbilt after successful assistant coaching stints with the Toronto Raptors — first as an assistant coach and then as head coach of Toronto's D-League program — and the Memphis Grizzlies. He was a rising name in the coaching industry -- named the NBA D-League coach of the year in 2017 — and his reputation was boosted by a long NBA career that saw him drafted No. 3 overall in 1995 by the Philadelphia 76ers and make two All-Star games over 18 productive seasons as a pro.

He started off slow at Vanderbilt but the Commodores finally seemed to hit their stride in his third year. Vandy went 19-17 in 2021-22 followed by a 22-15 campaign in 2022-23 that saw Stackhouse win SEC coach of the year.

Vanderbilt appeared to be a program on the rise and 2023-24 could have been the Commodores' next big step, but Vandy finished second-to-last in the SEC this season and was bounced out of the SEC Tournament after blowing a big first-half lead to Arkansas. 

Up 41-27 at halftime, Vanderbilt lost to the Razorbacks, 90-85, in overtime.