Vanderbilt has hired Jerry Stackhouse as the new head coach of the men’s basketball team Friday afternoon. Stackhouse was most recently an assistant with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and played in the NBA for 18 seasons.
Stackhouse’s extensive playing experience in the NBA and at North Carolina, as well as his coaching experience in the NBA G-League give him a unique blend of qualifications for a college head coaching job.
Here’s a look back into his journey to West End:
Playing Career
High School (1989-1993)
Stackhouse won state player of the year in 1991-1992 at Kinston High School in North Carolina. He transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior year. He was the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game after his senior year of high school and was named to the Parade All-American first team twice. He committed to attend the University of North Carolina as a local recruit.
University of North Carolina (1993-1995)
In his freshman year at UNC, Stackhouse started one game, but appeared in 35 games as a reserve. He averaged 12 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes per game. His sophomore year was his breakout season. He shot 41.1% from three-point range and 54.6% from the field. He started all but one game he appeared in and played over 34 minutes per contest. He averaged 19.2 points and 8.2 rebounds and was named an All-America after leading the Tar Heels to the Final Four. Sports Illustrated named his the National Player of the Year. Stackhouse played for legendary head coach Dean Smith at UNC, and he declared for the NBA draft after his sophomore year of college.
Philadelphia 76ers (1995-1998)
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Stackhouse with the third overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, and he made his presence known in his rookie season. He led the team in scoring with just over 19 points per game. He was voted to the NBA’s All-Rookie team. He played primarily as a shooting guard with the 76ers. In the 1996-1997 season, he averaged almost 21 points a game in 39 minutes per game. He was traded to the Detroit Pistons early in the 1997-1998 season.
Detroit Pistons (1998-2002)
After being a regular starter in Philadelphia, Stackhouse was mostly a reserve for his first two seasons with the Pistons. His third and fourth year, though, he started 82 and 80 games, respectively. He was named an NBA All-Star for both the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons. He averaged just under 30 points per game in his second All-Star season.
Washington Wizards (2002-2004)
He was traded to the Wizards in the offseason in 2002, and Stackhouse lead the team in points and assists in his first season there. However, a right knee injury that required surgery limited him in the 2003-2004 season.
Dallas Mavericks (2004-2009)
Stackhouse joined the Mavericks after being traded to the team by the Wizards. He was 30 years old in his first season in Dallas, and his age and recent injuries relegated him to the bench. Stackhouse still managed to average over 24 minutes per game in every season but his last with Dallas, when he played in just 10 games over the course of the season. He also managed to average double-figures in points in his first four seasons in Dallas. His legacy as a reliable 6th man was cemented.
Milwaukee Bucks (2010), Miami Heat, (2010), Atlanta Hawks (2011-2012), and Brooklyn Nets (2012-2013)
Dallas traded Stackhouse to the Memphis Grizzlies in July 2008, but he was waived by Memphis the next day. He signed with the Bucks midway through the 2009-2010 season. He played for the Heat in November 2010 before being released exactly a month after being signed. He joined the Hawks when Joe Johnson was injured the next season as an in-season signing. He finished his career with the Brooklyn Nets and played in 37 games off the bench.
He played in 970 games in the NBA, and over his career, he shot over 40% from the field and 3% from three-point range. He scored 16,409 points in the league. While playing in the NBA, he graduated from UNC in 1999.
Post-Retirement Career
Stackhouse Elite (2011-present)
Stackhouse created the Stackhouse Elite AAU program in Atlanta. His program has since won multiple titles in 15U, 16U, and 17U tournaments and has produced players such as the Los Angeles Lakers’ Brandon Ingram.
Fox Sports Detroit (2013-2015)
Like current Vanderbilt women’s basketball coach Stephanie White, Stackhouse also worked in broadcasting in retirement. He was a studio analyst for the Pistons and also was a college basketball analyst.
Toronto Raptors and Raptors 905 (2015-2018)
Stackhouse was an assistant coach on the Toronto Raptors team that lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. He was named the head coach of Raptors 905, the Raptor’s NBA D-League affiliate in 2016. He won the D-League in his first season as a head coach and was named NBA D-League Coach of the Year.
Memphis Grizzlies (2018-2019)
Stackhouse was an assistant coach for the Grizzlies this past season before accepting the head coaching job at Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt (2019-)
Stackhouse was signed to a six-year contract to be the head coach of the Commodores, who are coming off the worst two seasons in program history.
