Memphis Grizzlies: Jerry Stackhouse Should Not Have Rushed Into Vanderbilt Gig

One week after Jerry Stackhouse agreed to become Vanderbilt’s head coach, the Memphis Grizzlies posted a job opening in line with his dream role.

The Memphis Grizzlies‘ coaching staff — on paper — has been undergoing change even prior to Thursday’s drama following the slate of exit interviews. It all began with Jerry Stackhouse departing the Grizzlies before the official end of the 2018-19 season schedule.

Once he became linked to the head coaching vacancy at Vanderbilt, Jerry Stackhouse quickly reached an agreement with the university to fill the role. Now with his goal of obtaining head coach status achieved, Stackhouse’s full journey toward becoming a head coach has been remarkable since retiring from his playing days in 2013.

Since the 2015-16 hoops season, Jerry Stackhouse has been an assistant coach in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors. This was followed by being named the Raptors’ G-League affiliate’s head coach. In his first season with the G-League’s Raptors 905, Stackhouse marched his way to a championship title.

After being in the hunt for multiple NBA head coaching jobs, Jerry Stackhouse received feedback. His resume as a head coach was quickly becoming impresssive, but he needed to gain experience and tenure on a coaching staff. That is when the Memphis Grizzlies came calling, landing the former NBA player as an assistant coach for the 2018-19 season.

Stackhouse gained a lot of respect from Grizzlies players, both young and old, over the course of the season. On the court in practice or shooting sessions as well as behind the scenes in the locker room, he was an excellent mentor for a team needing guidance and additional leadership. Jerry is a perfect candidate as an NBA coach, and it is easy to see why he has achieved much success in a few short years since pursuing the coaching field.

On April 5th, Jerry Stackhouse signed a six-year contract to be the head coach of Vanderbilt men’s basketball team. After going 0-13 in SEC play, they needed an answer in short order, and it truly is a great opportunity for Stackhouse. Even if it is not the NBA, it could be the perfect stepping stone for him to leap to the NBA once his six years at Vanderbilt come to a close.

By April 11th, the Memphis Grizzlies unexpectedly fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in addition to demoting General Manager Chris Wallace. While the way the Grizzlies went about restructuring their organization is questionable, another aspect draws deeper thoughts.

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What if Jerry Stackhouse had waited one more week? What if Stackhouse began those negotiations once all 82 games were played? Would he have been the Memphis Grizzlies’ go-to guy to replace J.B. Bickerstaff?

Given the respect Stackhouse earned over the course of the season, and considering his early success in the coaching field, the answer realistically could have been “yes.” That would have been his ultimate dream — becoming a head coach in the National Basketball Association.

When considering Jerry Stackhouse’s first and only season as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies organization, he helped mold guys like Jaren Jackson Jr., Jevon Carter, and Yuta Watanabe. His fingerprints were placed on their development. These three particular players are a huge portion of the Grizzlies’ future. Promoting Stackhouse to head coach status would have made a lot of sense for all parties involved.

Stackhouse’s decision has been made. In fact, it was completed six days premature in the eyes of Grizz Nation. Of anyone on the current coaching market, Jerry Stackhouse was probably in the top tier of names the Grizzlies could have selected. Even with little coaching experience, he has excelled and other NBA franchises have taken notice. It is no fluke that his name has popped up in other teams’ coaching searches one year ago.

For the Memphis Grizzlies, the search is on. Their head coaching decision is one they will have to hit out of the park. This will be the fifth head coach they have had since 2009. It is time to find structure, consistency, and function. Jerry Stackhouse could have helped provide all three of those components.