Vanderbilt hires ex-Pistons star Jerry Stackhouse as head coach

Nashville, Tenn. – Former Detroit Pistons star Jerry Stackhouse has been named head coach at Vanderbilt.

Stackhouse, 44, was an assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies this past season.

Stackhouse succeeds Bryce Drew, who was fired March 22 after going 40-59 in three seasons. Vanderbilt was 9-23 this season and became the first Southeastern Conference team in 65 years to go winless in league competition.

"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 a release. “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 played for the Pistons from 1997-98 through 2001-02.

He was drafted by Philadelphia No. 3 overall in 1995 and was traded to Detroit in December 1997. The Pistons traded Stackhouse to Washington in 2002.

In his NBA career, Stackhouse averaged 16.9 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 970 games. With the Pistons, he posted a career high of 29.8 points (ranking second in the league) in 2001.

Stackhouse, an 18-year NBA veteran and two-time All-Star, was considered in NBA coaching searches last year by Toronto, New York, Charlotte and Orlando after his success coaching the Raptors’ NBA G League team.

He went 70-30 in two seasons with the Raptors 905, reaching the finals twice and winning a championship. He was the G League’s coach of the year for 2016-17.