It might surprise you, but I looked foward to writing this preview. At the very least, Vanderbilt usually offers up a couple of interesting storylines, and that remains true after Jerry Stackhouse’s dismissal this spring.
Around here, we talked a lot about Stack, smart scouts, and scheme. He was sharp in those areas, but they don’t matter if you can’t handle the more essential elements of the job. And as a high-major coach, that’s usually talent acquisition. Ultimately, Stackhouse didn’t win enough recruiting battles; each spring, there was just enough turnover to keep his rebuild stagnant.
With Stackhouse gone, a new era has started, and I’m intrigued to watch and investigate.