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Jerry Stackhouse Adds Memphis Grizzlies Assistant to Vanderbilt Coaching Staff

ByChristian Dudley|
SALT LAKE CITY - JULY 2: Coach Adam Mazarei of the Memphis Grizzlies leads a huddle during the 2018 Summer League at the Vivint Smart Home Arena on July 2, 2018 in Salt Lake CIty, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY - JULY 2: Coach Adam Mazarei of the Memphis Grizzlies leads a huddle during the 2018 Summer League at the Vivint Smart Home Arena on July 2, 2018 in Salt Lake CIty, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Jerry Stackhouse is forming his coaching staff at Vanderbilt. He is starting with a long-time member of the Memphis Grizzlies organization.

With the Memphis Grizzlies‘ leadership team deciding to sever ties one week ago with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, his support staff has begun to scatter, too. Headlined by Jerry Stackhouse, it has become fresh beginnings for the assistant coaches that were underneath Bickerstaff.

Stackhouse bolted a few days prior to the firing of Bickerstaff. He left as soon as an offer sheet of the head coaching position hit his table. Now as the official head coach of the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team, Jerry Stackhouse is assembling his own coaching staff. He is wasting no time in bringing aboard personnel with great experience in developing prospects into NBA talents.

After landing UCLA’s David Grace to become the Associate Head Coach, Stackhouse has turned to a guy who manned the sidelines next to himself over the course of the past hoops season. The Memphis Grizzlies’ own Adam Mazarei has moved on from the 901 after three seasons with the Assistant Coach title to become a member of Vanderbilt’s program.

This is a bigger blow to the Memphis Grizzlies than most probably think. Adam Mazarei has been with the Grizz for a total of six seasons, receiving the promotion to Assistant Coach halfway through his tenure. Over these six seasons, Mazarei has had his fingerprints directly on player development.

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Behind the scenes, Adam Mazarei has been perhaps the biggest influence on everything good with player development. Though this department is one the Memphis Grizzlies have struggled with the most, Mazarei has been a tremendous help. It could have always been a worse journey in developing the team’s young players, and that definitely would have been the case had Mazarei not been a part of the Grizzlies franchise.

Vanderbilt is getting an underrated assistant coach. While Jerry Stackhouse is not quite done building his support staff, he is doing a great job of bringing in guys that have a track record of developing prospects into NBA-worthy players. This will assist in luring top high school recruits to Vanderbilt, a program that has had a recent increase in landing recruits with true NBA potential.

Despite going 0-13 in SEC play (largely due to unfortunate injuries), Jerry Stackhouse is looking to put the program on the map. If he continues to add assistants with NBA experience and a proven track record in the player development department, this will expedite Vanderbilt’s men’s basketball program’s rise to success.

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