The Vanderbilt coaching search is already underway, as the school decided to fire Bryce Drew after three seasons on the job.
It wasn’t a particularly shocking move considering that the Commodores went winless in SEC play this season.
Drew went 40-59 overall as head coach, and the 6-30 mark in conference play over the past two seasons certainly wasn’t ideal.
Most will agree that three years simply isn’t enough time to implement everything that may be needed to turn a program into a perennial contender, but they would likely also agree that going 1-23 in the previous 24 league games is not a trend that can be taken lightly.
Malcolm Turner, the school’s new athletic director who took the job after serving as the NBA G-League president for several years, now has his first big hire to make.
So, with plenty of names already being thrown around as possible candidates to replace Drew, here is a list of options that could make sense for the Commodores.
This list is a mixture of rumored names and those who could be a nice fit, with the different tiers representing how I would view the candidates if I were the one making the call.
Some of these coaches may have no interest in the job at all, but it’s more about looking at it from Vanderbilt’s perspective and who may fit in well.
Let’s look at some options.
The Best Option
Thad Matta (Former Ohio State head coach)
It should come as no surprise that Matta will be linked with numerous power conference jobs this offseason.
He turned down a big offer from Georgia last offseason, and Ole Miss was also among the teams that gauged his interest.
The connection with Jake Diebler, who was on Drew’s staff, is obviously an intriguing part of this equation as well.
Matta’s success at Ohio State speaks for itself, and there’s zero reason to not at least initiate contact. If he not’s ready from a physical standpoint, then all you do is move to your next choice.
But a phone call to a guy with 16 straight 20-win seasons on his resume is never a bad idea, especially when you’re trying to compete with John Calipari, Rick Barnes, Bruce Pearl, Ben Howland, and so on.
Matta would be the best possible hire in this spot, but again, only if he’s ready to take on the challenge.
The Next Best Option
Russell Turner (UC Irvine)
3/25 Update: Considering some of the backlash surrounding Turner’s comments following the Oregon game, it could alter how he’s viewed in certain coaching searches.
Turner’s name was speculated during the previous Vanderbilt coaching search, and he has a quality background as both an NBA assistant and a coach that has built the most consistent program in the Big West.
He spent four years as an assistant under Mike Montgomery at Stanford, and then transitioned to an assistant with the Golden State Warriors for six years.
His inclusion on the list is a matter of pure speculation on my part, but he’s going to garner a lot of attention this offseason considering that UC Irvine has already advanced in the NCAA Tournament.
Most of his work has been done on the West Coast, and perhaps that’s something that could raise questions when it comes to recruiting and other facets within the SEC.
However, he is a tremendous coach that thrives in player development, and there’s no doubt that he has a resume that could be appealing to Malcolm Turner.
While swinging for a big name is always everyone’s most desired option, I tend to believe that Turner would do an excellent job in Nashville.
Other Intriguing Options
Eric Musselman (Nevada)
Musselman has been a hot name on the coaching circuit for several years now, and while there’s a belief that he’s a better fit out West, it’s hard to ignore his abilities.
He also does a fantastic job promoting the Nevada program, and after a winless SEC season, the Vanderbilt fanbase will need to be rejuvenated quite a bit.
Of course, transfers have played a large role in how he’s rebuilt the Wolf Pack’s roster, and that method would obviously be more difficult at a place like Vanderbilt.
Matt McMahon (Murray State)
It doesn’t matter if you’re getting 5-star talents in recruiting if you’re able to help turn your current players into 5-star talents.
Well, it’s safe to say that McMahon knows how to develop players since he and his staff have played a huge role in Ja Morant’s development, and that has been a common theme with other players during their tenure with the Racers.
He doesn’t have the same level of experience as some other potential candidates, but he’s well-respected in coaching circles and seen as someone that will succeed at the power conference level.
John Brannen (Northern Kentucky)
Brannen’s previous stop at Alabama may that a possible landing spot for him if Greg Byrne wants to go in that direction, but the 45-year-old has put Northern Kentucky in a great spot since taking over there in 2015.
The potential problem with going this route from a fan perspective is that it would feel somewhat similar to the Drew hire since it’s a rising mid-major coach from the Horizon League.
But that coincidence shouldn’t take away the fact that Brannen is undoubtedly a program builder that will get plenty of looks in the coaching carousel.
John Thompson III (Former Georgetown coach, added 3/23)
Thompson joins the list after a report from Adam Zagoria suggested that he’s the leader for the job, and there is a USA National Team connection between he and Malcolm Turner.
I’m really only adding him to my shortlist since it seems like he’s a legitimate possibility at this point in the search. Personally, I don’t think he’s the best fit here.
On the surface, it’s likely a hire that Vanderbilt fans wouldn’t be thrilled about. His tenure at Georgetown ended with the team struggling to meet expectations in his last four seasons on the job, and that trend would be my biggest concern if I were making the hire.
Removing the pressure of that situation could allow for improved results, and he does have 10 NCAA Tournament appearances to go along with a Final Four in his 17 seasons as a head coach.
But again, despite the pedigree, my anticipation is that it would be a tough sell to a majority of the fanbase due to the struggles during the stretch run with the Hoyas.
Long Shots But May Be Worth A Call
Mike Brey (Notre Dame)
My guess is that Brey is more likely to move elsewhere than to finish his career at Notre Dame, and perhaps the right offer would at least make him listen.
But again, he’s in the long shots section for a reason, and this one would probably be a simple check-in to see if he even has the slightest interest in pursuing another job right now.
Shaka Smart (Texas)
The Texas experiment simply isn’t working out, but Smart is young enough that he will easily get opportunities elsewhere should he decide to leave Austin and/or be fired.
While his stock isn’t what it was after the VCU run, he certainly wouldn’t be a bad option for other power conference schools that may believe his tenure with the Longhorns was more of a case of the two parties being a bad fit together.
Thoughts On Other Rumored Names
Nate Oats (Buffalo)
He just signed a five-year extension, and if you find a way around that, then he’d be an obvious addition to the list.
Ed Cooley (Providence)
He’s from Providence and a monetary incentive would be the only reason to leave.
Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)
I’m not sure it would be the right fit.
Johnny Dawkins (UCF)
Even with the Duke coaching ties and recent success at UCF, the previous head coaching stop at Stanford may be hard to sell to the fanbase.
Rick Byrd (Belmont)
He’s not leaving Belmont at this stage of his career.
Casey Alexander (Lipscomb)
If the search got beyond the top five names on my board, I’d add him to the list of candidates.
James Jones (Yale)
The same scenario as Alexander.
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