NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Candice Lee, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director, has extended the contract of fourth-year men’s basketball head coach Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt announced.
“The positive trajectory of our men’s basketball program under Coach Stackhouse is clear,” Lee said. “Committing to and investing in him as the leader is an important part of building the championship caliber program that we all want and expect here at Vanderbilt. I value the contributions Jerry and his program have made to our community and campus, and I am excited about our future.”
The two-time NBA All-Star has rejuvenated the program in his first three seasons in Nashville. The Commodores had just posted a winless record in the SEC when Stackhouse took over the helm ahead of the 2019-20 season. Stackhouse helped lead Vandy to a 19-17 record in his third — and most recent — season and made a run to the NIT quarterfinals.
“I would like to recognize and thank our Board of Trust, Chancellor Diermeier, our AD Dr. Candice Storey Lee, my staff, players, family and all the fans of Commodore Nation for this amazing experience thus far and for the opportunity to continue to lead the Vanderbilt men’s basketball program into the future,” Stackhouse said. “Stability and commitment are concepts in college athletics that are hard to come by these days. I feel very fortunate to be at Vanderbilt, where stability and commitment are part of our culture from Chancellor Diermeier to Dr. Lee on down.
“With this new contract, they continue to show the confidence in my tremendous staff and myself. Through Vandy United, our community and athletic department has made tremendous commitments to the future of our athletic landscape through the establishment of new facilities and the investment and improvement of existing ones.
“That being said, I am equally committed. I love it at Vanderbilt – Ramirra and I love living in Nashville and competing in the SEC. It has become our home. This program has a unique and storied history and includes countless legends such as Perry Wallace, who was a pioneering player and force in the SEC. It is truly a special place to be a part of, and we look forward to building on that legacy.
“This is an unprecedented time in Vanderbilt Athletics history and bright days are ahead for Vanderbilt Basketball. We are continuing to climb forward and look forward to building on the momentum and confidence we’ve generated over the past three years. Thank you again. Anchor Down!”
Under Stackhouse’s tutelage, three former Vanderbilt student-athletes – Aaron Nesmith, Saben Lee and Scotty Pippen Jr – advanced to the NBA. Stackhouse has reloaded the Vanderbilt roster thanks to a strong push on the recruiting trail. The current freshman class was ranked No. 18 in the nation by Rivals and No. 24 by 247 Sports.
Off the court, Vanderbilt has had two SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award winners including current senior Jordan Wright in 2022. In total, Vanderbilt has produced 18 SEC Academic Honor Roll selections in Stackhouse’s three seasons. The Commodores have been active in the community throughout Stackhouse’s tenure supporting Vanderbilt University’s Next Steps program, Habitat for Humanity, Turner’s Heroes and local elementary schools.
Prior to Vanderbilt, Stackhouse served as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies which was preceded by two seasons as head coach of the NBA G League’s Raptors 905. As head coach of Raptors 905, Stackhouse earned NBA G League Coach of the Year honors after he steered the team to a 39-11 regular season record and 6-1 playoff record in 2016-17, en route to the team’s first NBA G League championship. The following season, Stackhouse led the Raptors 905 to a 31-19 regular season record and a second straight appearance in the NBA G League Finals.
After playing for legendary head coach Dean Smith as an All-America at North Carolina, Stackhouse was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the third overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. He was named to the 1995-96 NBA All-Rookie first team after leading all first-year players in scoring (19.8 points).
In his 18-year NBA playing career, Stackhouse averaged 16.9 points, 3.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 31.2 minutes. A two-time All-Star with the Detroit Pistons (2000, 2001), Stackhouse posted career highs of 29.8 points (second in the NBA) during the 2000-01 season, leading the league in total points and free throws made. He played for eight teams during his NBA career.
Stackhouse received his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina in the fall of 1999, and completed the Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports at the Harvard Business School executive education program in 2017.
