There have been a wide range of opinions from across the country on the Jerry Stackhouse hire by Vanderbilt. The former outstanding talent is best known as a North Carolina Tar Heel legend as well as a playing career in the NBA that spanned for almost two decades and amassed two All-Star awards as well as over 16,000 points.
Stackhouse also gained a solid reputation on the sidelines as well. He served as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies, but gained the most accolades as.a Head Coach in the NBA Develpmental League. His stint with the Raptors 905 organization saw his win the league's Coach of the Year in 2017 as well as win a title.
When new Vanderbilt Athletic Director, Malcolm Turner, began looking for a new Head Basketball Coach in March, Stackhouse became an obvious name that would be in the small pool of candidates. The two had a relationship from the D-League, and then there were the ties from Chapel Hill.
The lack of collegiate coaching experience that has led to national speculation also leads to question marks on what kind of corporate culture Stackhouse will instill into the program. Obviously, we don't have all the answers, but we have had numerous discussions with individuals who are familiar with him on a professional basis. They have given us enough information that we feel we can make some educated guesses in what to expect early on in the Stackhouse era.
What will be his coaching style?
One source who knows him from his G-League days was very impressed with his ability to get players to buy in with what wasn't the easiest of circumstances. He called the G-League the "most individual agenda-driven league in the world." His teams won a championship while finishing first in defense in one season and second in the other.
"They always took pride and were just tough, nasty, physical teams that everybody hated to play against," our source added.
The same individual described Stackhouse as "hard-nosed, blue collar, and intense."
The NBA has a training program for new coaches coming into the league. We spoke with another individual who took the sessions the same time Stackhouse did. He referred to him as a very hard worker who was driven. He also doubled down on the description that the other source used.
That might answer a scenario that critics have used when criticizing the hire. How will an individual who has millions in the bank adjust to the daily grind that a college head coaching posiions requires? It appears that it is safe to say that one who has worked his way through the minor leagues and has constantly displayed a strong work ethic and drive will not all of a sudden discover that he would rather be on the beach.
From everything we have heard, expect Stackhouse to be a tough-minded intense coach behind the scenes with his players as well as in the games. You can also expect his Vanderbilt teams to put defense first.
What will his staff look like?
Chris Lee put up an assistant coaching hot board early on Saturday. We have spoken frequently about this subject with each other and with several sources starting last Sunday when he jumped to the forefront.
I am in agreement with the names who could be considered. Current Minnesota assistant, Ed Conroy, has had a strong relationship with him ever since he recruited him at North Carolina State. Matt Doherty is a former Tar Heel and like Conroy, has head coaching experience. He also just resigned his job in the Atlantic 10 office, driving speculation that he is looking to get back into coaching, particularly with his UNC brethren. Jeff Lebo was a name that wasn't mentioned, but could be one more name to watch among experienced coaches. The former head man at Tennessee Tech, Chattanooga, Auburn, and East Carolina has been out of the business for a year. He also has the UNC lineage.
Ex-players have also been featured prominently, and there are several who have ties with Stackhouse. Sean May is a former Tar Heel and NBA product who is currently Director of Basketball Operations at North Carolina. Brian Reese played at UNC and is an assistant at Illinois State. Rasheed Wallace is a former assistant with the Detroit Pistons and is a high school coach in North Carolina. Nick Van Exel was on the staff with Stackhouse with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Chris also mentioned Sam Ferry who is at Cleveland State. He worked at Vanderbilt under Kevin Stallings and worked under King Rice at Monmouth who played at North Carolina as well.
So which way will Stackhouse go? I believe there will have to be a mix on the staff. He is going to need the mix of having experience along with younger recruiters. Let's start with the former.
I don't believe he would put Conroy and Doherty both in two of the three lead assistant spots. Conroy is known more for his strategic acumen than he is as an ace recruiter. Doherty, on the other hand, was an excellent recruiter as an assistant when he was on Roy Williams' staff at Kansas. But that was twenty years ago, and he is fifty-seven years old now. He also hasn't coached since 2012.
If both were hired, we could see one in an advisory type role. This would probably be Doherty. It would not be sensible for Conroy to leave as the most tenured assistant at Minnesota for that role.
Then there is the group of ex-players who have NBA experience and name recognition. How many of those type candidates could be bring aboard? Despite, the reputations, none have recruiting experience on a high major level.
The hiring of Stackhouse follows a trend of successful players transitioning their way to the bench. Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullen, and Danny Manning are just a few who have paved the way.
The most successful recruiter early on is probably Hardaway. His staff consists of Mike Miller, a famous NBA player who has no previous coaching experience, but has already proved to be a very capable recruiter. Sam Mitchell was an ex-player, assistant, and Head Coach in the NBA who came to the college game at 54 years of age. Tony Madlock rounds out the three coaches who are allowed to go on the road recruiting. He has been on several stops in the college fame, and was at Ole Miss for four years before going to Memphis.
A similar staff at Vanderbilt for argument's sake could see Conroy as the experienced coach, a mix of either Wallace or Van Exel as the well known former NBA player, and then any of the others who were named filling out the third spot.
Do we expect that list to be the end all? Absolutely not. That is just a grouping of individuals who have ties and strong relationships with Stackhouse while others have ties to the Carolina family. I'm positive other names will pop up as well.
How wil he recruit?
We can take portions from the first two questions and answer the third. We expect him to grind and recruit relentlessly. To go along with that, we were also told that he has a hands-on personality and would be expected to direct the recruiting efforts.
Hardaway and Ewing have taken the approach that they will be the faces of recruiting at their programs. This is not always a given. There are plenty of coaches out there who hand the keys to the assistant coaches. It seems that former elite NBA players are not in that group. They have name a facial recognition. Most importantly, recruits see them as conduits to the league. They have been there and experienced what it takes to be one of the top players in the world. Who better to help them on their journeys?
It is also worth noting that although Hardaway has another experienced recruiter on his staff, he never goes on the road without Mike Miller. I have been told that Top Ten players like Matthew Hurt have put huge trust into him and his experiences. A name like Rasheed Wallacecould resonate with high school prospects and could end up as the ace. recruiter even though he has never been in a player's home.
It will be interesting to see what type of doors open up among recruits for such a highly respected name. It is very late in the 2019 recruiting cycle. Stackhouse's first priority will be to keep Dylan Disu and Scotty Pippen Jr, in the fold. I believe this can be done. Both have already said they wanted to see who will be hired before making a decision, and each one also loves what Vanderbilt has to offer besides basketball and were excited about the university's entire package. The Stackhouse name certainly should bode well within the Pippen family.
There may be a few players offered in the 2019 Class. Stackhouse stayed involved in the AAU scene. He has sponsored a program over the past few years based out of Atlanta that played on the Adidas Gauntlet Circuit. I have seen him watching games at EYBL events as well. He also worked the NBPA Top 100 Camps.
Stackhouse should be contacted extremely well in Georgia and the Carolinas. It will also be interesting to see how many current Vanderbilt targets in 2020 he stays with and which new ones he pursues.
Look for several of these questions regarding the staff and recruits to start being answered this week. We look for him to begin officially hiring assistant coaches as well as issuing scholarship offers. As always, stay with VandySports.com as we bring you the latest.
Stackhouse also gained a solid reputation on the sidelines as well. He served as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies, but gained the most accolades as.a Head Coach in the NBA Develpmental League. His stint with the Raptors 905 organization saw his win the league's Coach of the Year in 2017 as well as win a title.
When new Vanderbilt Athletic Director, Malcolm Turner, began looking for a new Head Basketball Coach in March, Stackhouse became an obvious name that would be in the small pool of candidates. The two had a relationship from the D-League, and then there were the ties from Chapel Hill.
The lack of collegiate coaching experience that has led to national speculation also leads to question marks on what kind of corporate culture Stackhouse will instill into the program. Obviously, we don't have all the answers, but we have had numerous discussions with individuals who are familiar with him on a professional basis. They have given us enough information that we feel we can make some educated guesses in what to expect early on in the Stackhouse era.
What will be his coaching style?
One source who knows him from his G-League days was very impressed with his ability to get players to buy in with what wasn't the easiest of circumstances. He called the G-League the "most individual agenda-driven league in the world." His teams won a championship while finishing first in defense in one season and second in the other.
"They always took pride and were just tough, nasty, physical teams that everybody hated to play against," our source added.
The same individual described Stackhouse as "hard-nosed, blue collar, and intense."
The NBA has a training program for new coaches coming into the league. We spoke with another individual who took the sessions the same time Stackhouse did. He referred to him as a very hard worker who was driven. He also doubled down on the description that the other source used.
That might answer a scenario that critics have used when criticizing the hire. How will an individual who has millions in the bank adjust to the daily grind that a college head coaching posiions requires? It appears that it is safe to say that one who has worked his way through the minor leagues and has constantly displayed a strong work ethic and drive will not all of a sudden discover that he would rather be on the beach.
From everything we have heard, expect Stackhouse to be a tough-minded intense coach behind the scenes with his players as well as in the games. You can also expect his Vanderbilt teams to put defense first.
What will his staff look like?
Chris Lee put up an assistant coaching hot board early on Saturday. We have spoken frequently about this subject with each other and with several sources starting last Sunday when he jumped to the forefront.
I am in agreement with the names who could be considered. Current Minnesota assistant, Ed Conroy, has had a strong relationship with him ever since he recruited him at North Carolina State. Matt Doherty is a former Tar Heel and like Conroy, has head coaching experience. He also just resigned his job in the Atlantic 10 office, driving speculation that he is looking to get back into coaching, particularly with his UNC brethren. Jeff Lebo was a name that wasn't mentioned, but could be one more name to watch among experienced coaches. The former head man at Tennessee Tech, Chattanooga, Auburn, and East Carolina has been out of the business for a year. He also has the UNC lineage.
Ex-players have also been featured prominently, and there are several who have ties with Stackhouse. Sean May is a former Tar Heel and NBA product who is currently Director of Basketball Operations at North Carolina. Brian Reese played at UNC and is an assistant at Illinois State. Rasheed Wallace is a former assistant with the Detroit Pistons and is a high school coach in North Carolina. Nick Van Exel was on the staff with Stackhouse with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Chris also mentioned Sam Ferry who is at Cleveland State. He worked at Vanderbilt under Kevin Stallings and worked under King Rice at Monmouth who played at North Carolina as well.
So which way will Stackhouse go? I believe there will have to be a mix on the staff. He is going to need the mix of having experience along with younger recruiters. Let's start with the former.
I don't believe he would put Conroy and Doherty both in two of the three lead assistant spots. Conroy is known more for his strategic acumen than he is as an ace recruiter. Doherty, on the other hand, was an excellent recruiter as an assistant when he was on Roy Williams' staff at Kansas. But that was twenty years ago, and he is fifty-seven years old now. He also hasn't coached since 2012.
If both were hired, we could see one in an advisory type role. This would probably be Doherty. It would not be sensible for Conroy to leave as the most tenured assistant at Minnesota for that role.
Then there is the group of ex-players who have NBA experience and name recognition. How many of those type candidates could be bring aboard? Despite, the reputations, none have recruiting experience on a high major level.
The hiring of Stackhouse follows a trend of successful players transitioning their way to the bench. Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullen, and Danny Manning are just a few who have paved the way.
The most successful recruiter early on is probably Hardaway. His staff consists of Mike Miller, a famous NBA player who has no previous coaching experience, but has already proved to be a very capable recruiter. Sam Mitchell was an ex-player, assistant, and Head Coach in the NBA who came to the college game at 54 years of age. Tony Madlock rounds out the three coaches who are allowed to go on the road recruiting. He has been on several stops in the college fame, and was at Ole Miss for four years before going to Memphis.
A similar staff at Vanderbilt for argument's sake could see Conroy as the experienced coach, a mix of either Wallace or Van Exel as the well known former NBA player, and then any of the others who were named filling out the third spot.
Do we expect that list to be the end all? Absolutely not. That is just a grouping of individuals who have ties and strong relationships with Stackhouse while others have ties to the Carolina family. I'm positive other names will pop up as well.
How wil he recruit?
We can take portions from the first two questions and answer the third. We expect him to grind and recruit relentlessly. To go along with that, we were also told that he has a hands-on personality and would be expected to direct the recruiting efforts.
Hardaway and Ewing have taken the approach that they will be the faces of recruiting at their programs. This is not always a given. There are plenty of coaches out there who hand the keys to the assistant coaches. It seems that former elite NBA players are not in that group. They have name a facial recognition. Most importantly, recruits see them as conduits to the league. They have been there and experienced what it takes to be one of the top players in the world. Who better to help them on their journeys?
It is also worth noting that although Hardaway has another experienced recruiter on his staff, he never goes on the road without Mike Miller. I have been told that Top Ten players like Matthew Hurt have put huge trust into him and his experiences. A name like Rasheed Wallacecould resonate with high school prospects and could end up as the ace. recruiter even though he has never been in a player's home.
It will be interesting to see what type of doors open up among recruits for such a highly respected name. It is very late in the 2019 recruiting cycle. Stackhouse's first priority will be to keep Dylan Disu and Scotty Pippen Jr, in the fold. I believe this can be done. Both have already said they wanted to see who will be hired before making a decision, and each one also loves what Vanderbilt has to offer besides basketball and were excited about the university's entire package. The Stackhouse name certainly should bode well within the Pippen family.
There may be a few players offered in the 2019 Class. Stackhouse stayed involved in the AAU scene. He has sponsored a program over the past few years based out of Atlanta that played on the Adidas Gauntlet Circuit. I have seen him watching games at EYBL events as well. He also worked the NBPA Top 100 Camps.
Stackhouse should be contacted extremely well in Georgia and the Carolinas. It will also be interesting to see how many current Vanderbilt targets in 2020 he stays with and which new ones he pursues.
Look for several of these questions regarding the staff and recruits to start being answered this week. We look for him to begin officially hiring assistant coaches as well as issuing scholarship offers. As always, stay with VandySports.com as we bring you the latest.
