Vanderbilt Basketball Coach Candidates

The top 5 candidates for the Vanderbilt Basketball coaching job.

Why Vanderbilt needs a new basketball coach

It has been two weeks since Vanderbilt fired head basketball coach Bryce Drew, and the search for his replacement is underway. The university has hired a search firm to help identify and interview candidates, but the process is expected to take several weeks.

In the meantime, Vanderbilt fans are left to wonder why the school decided to make a change. There are a few possible explanations.

First, Vanderbilt may have felt that it needed to make a change in order to compete in the SEC. The conference has been on the rise in recent years and Vanderbilt has struggled to keep up. The school has not made the NCAA tournament since 2015, and it has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2012.

Second, Vanderbilt may have wanted to make a change in order to get back on track with its recruiting. The school has not landed a top-10 recruiting class since 2012, and it has missed out on some high-profile recruits in recent years

Finally, Vanderbilt may have simply wanted to make a change for the sake of making a change. It is possible that the school felt that it needed to inject some new energy into its Basketball Program Regardless of the reason, it is clear that Vanderbilt believes that it needs a new head basketball coach

Who are the top candidates for the job?

The Vanderbilt Commodores are in the market for a new basketball coach after firing Bryce Drew following a disappointing 18-19 season Here are some of the top candidates for the job, according to various reports:

Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech Head Coach Williams has emerged as the top candidate for the Vanderbilt job, according to multiple reports. He’s been at Virginia Tech for the past three seasons, leading the Hokies to a 23-7 record and an NCAA tournament berth in 2018-19. Prior to his time at Virginia Tech Williams spent six seasons at Marquette, where he led the Golden Eagles to five NCAA tournament appearances.

Tony Bennett, Virginia head coach Bennett is another top candidate for the Vanderbilt job, according to multiple reports. He’s been at Virginia for the past 10 seasons, leading the Cavaliers to nine NCAA tournament appearances and one National Championship (in 2018). Prior to his time at Virginia, Bennett spent three seasons at Washington State where he led the Cougars to one NCAA Tournament appearance.

Chris Beard, Texas Tech Head Coach Beard has also been mentioned as a top candidate for the Vanderbilt job, according to multiple reports. He’s been at Texas Tech for the past three seasons, leading the Red Raiders to two NCAA Tournament appearances and one National Championship game (in 2019). Prior to his time at Texas Tech Beard spent one season as Head coach at UNLV and two seasons as an Assistant Coach at Arkansas-Little Rock.

Why Shaka Smart is the front runner for the job

Vanderbilt University is currently in the process of searching for a new men’s basketball head coach The position became vacant after previous head coach Bryce Drew, was fired on March 22nd. Vanderbilt has already begun to narrow down their search and Shaka Smart is said to be the front runner for the job.

Shaka Smart is currently the head coach at Texas Tech University He has been the Red Raiders’ head coach since 2016 and has led the team to two NCAA tournament appearances. Prior to coaching at Texas Tech Smart was the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2009 to 2015. During his time at VCU, he led the team to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four appearance in 2011.

Smart has also been linked to the Vanderbilt job in the past. He was reportedly a finalist for the job when Bryce Drew was hired in 2016.

Despite his lack of experience coaching at a major college basketball program, Shaka Smart would be a good fit for Vanderbilt. He has proven that he can win at lower levels and his recruiting connections would be a valuable asset for the Commodores.

Why Chris Mack is a top candidate for the job

Mack has a proven track record of success at Xavier, leading the Musketeers to nine NCAA Tournament appearances in his ten years at the helm. That includes four Sweet Sixteen appearances and a trip to the Elite Eight in 2017. Mack is also a native of the Nashville area and played his college ball at nearby Albright College so he would have no trouble recruiting in the area.

Why Jay Wright is a top candidate for the job

Jay Wright has been the Head Coach at Villanova since 2001, and has led the team to two National Championships in that time. He is widely considered one of the best coaches in the country, and his name has been floated as a potential candidate for several head coaching vacancies in recent years

Wright is a native of Bucks County Pennsylvania, and played his college basketball at Bucknell University. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at several colleges before becoming the head coach at Hofstra University in 1994. He led Hofstra to the NCAA tournament in 2001, and was hired by Villanova shortly thereafter.

In his 18 years at Villanova, Wright has compiled a record of 428-163 (.724), and has led the Wildcats to 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, including nine Sweet Sixteen appearances and six Elite Eight appearances. He has also won eight Big East regular season championships and four Big East Tournament championships.

Wright is known for his ability to develop players and get the most out of their talents. Several of his former players have gone on to have successful careers in the NBA, including Kyle Lowry Maalik Wayns, Corey Fisher, Jason Thompson Scottie Reynolds, and Mike Nardi. Lowry is currently an All-Star guard for the Toronto Raptors while Thompson is a starting center for the Sacramento Kings

With Vanderbilt’s recent firing of Bryce Drew, Jay Wright has emerged as one of the top candidates for the job. His experience, success, and connections to Pennsylvania make him a strong candidate for the position.

Why Brad Stevens is a top candidate for the job

As the Vanderbilt Basketball coaching search enters its second week, Brad Stevens has emerged as a top candidate for the job.

Stevens, who is currently the head coach of the Boston Celtics has a strong track record of success at both the collegiate and professional levels. He led Butler to back-to-back NCAA championship games in 2010 and 2011, and has coached the Celtics to four straight playoff appearances.

There are a number of reasons why Stevens would be a great hire for Vanderbilt. First and foremost, he is a proven winner who has experience leading a team to success at the highest levels of both college and Professional Basketball Additionally, Stevens is known for his ability to develop young talent, which would be hugely valuable for a Vanderbilt team that is likely to feature several young players next season.

Lastly, Stevens is a native of Indiana, which is just a short drive from Nashville. This could potentially make him more receptive to the idea of coaching at Vanderbilt than some other candidates who may not have any ties to the state of Tennessee.

Why Billy Donovan is a top candidate for the job

Billy Donovan is one of the top College Basketball coaches in the country. He has coached the University of Florida to two national championships and has produced many NBA players He is a top candidate for the Vanderbilt job because he has experience coaching in the SEC and he knows how to win.

Why Tom Izzo is a top candidate for the job

Tom Izzo is one of the top candidates for the Vanderbilt men’s basketball coaching job, and there are several reasons why.

First, Izzo has a proven track record of success at Michigan State He’s won nine NCAA tournament games in his career, which is tied for the most among active coaches. He’s also been to the Final Four six times and won a National Championship in 2000.

Second, Izzo is known for his ability to develop players and prepare them for the NBA. He’s had 15 players drafted into the NBA over his career, including six in the first round. Among his most notable pupils are Magic Johnson Steve Smith and Greg Kelser.

Third, Izzo has demonstrated a willingness to coach at different levels of College Basketball He started his career at Northern Michigan University before taking over at Michigan State in 1995. This shows that he’s not just interested in coaching at big-time programs; he’s willing to take on a challenge and build a program from scratch.

Fourth, Izzo is known as a good recruiter, which would be a valuable asset at Vanderbilt. He’s been able to land some of the top recruits in the country despite being located in a smaller market like East Lansing Michigan.

All these factors make Tom Izzo an attractive option for Vanderbilt as they search for their next head coach

Why Gregg Marshall is a top candidate for the job

Gregg Marshall is one of the top candidates for the Vanderbilt Basketball coaching job for a number of reasons. He has a proven track record of success, he is a good recruiter, and he has ties to the state of Tennessee.

Marshall has a 759-325 record as a head coach which includes stops at Winthrop and Wichita State He has won nine conference championships and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances His teams have also been to the NIT three times.

Marshall is a good recruiter, and he has already shown interest in Vanderbilt. He visited campus earlier this month, and he has been in touch with some of the school’s top recruits

Marshall also has ties to the state of Tennessee. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but he grew up in Nashville. He graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville before going on to play college basketball at Marshall University

Why John Calipari is a top candidate for the job

As the search for a new Head Coach for the Vanderbilt basketball team ramps up, one name that has been mentioned as a top candidate is John Calipari

Calipari is currently the head coach at the University of Kentucky where he has led the Wildcats to four Final Fours, six SEC tournament titles, and four SEC regular season titles. He has also been named SEC Coach of the Year three times.

Calipari’s success at Kentucky is due in large part to his ability to recruit top talent to Lexington. He has had 12 players selected in the NBA draft during his time at Kentucky, including six in the first round.

While some may question whether Calipari would be interested in coaching at Vanderbilt given its lower profile than Kentucky, it is worth noting that he began his coaching career at a small school (UMass) and has also coached at Memphis, another school with less tradition than Vanderbilt.

Given his success as a recruiter and as a coach, John Calipari would be an excellent choice as the next head coach of the Vanderbilt Basketball team