Vanderbilt men's basketball hiring James Madison coach

Vanderbilt’s next men’s basketball coach has a far greater background in the college game than did his predecessor.

The school announced Monday that it's hiring James Madison’s Mark Byington to replace Jerry Stackhouse.

Byington is fresh from leading James Madison to its first round-of-64 NCAA Tournament victory since 1983, as the 12^th-seeded Dukes knocked off fifth-seeded Wisconsin last week. JMU’s tournament run came to an end when it was thumped 93-55 by Duke on Sunday, but the Dukes (32-4) still recorded the most wins in school history, including a victory against Michigan State. James Madison had won 14 straight games prior to the Duke loss, the team’s second 14-game winning streak of the season.

The 47-year-old Byington, a Salem, Va., native, has been a head coach in the college ranks for 11 years. That number offers a stark contrast to the resume previously held by Stackhouse, who had never been a college assistant or head coach before being named Vandy’s head coach in 2019 by former athletic director Malcolm Turner.

“Vanderbilt is getting an extraordinary coach and person in Mark Byington," Commodores athletic director Candice Storey Lee said in a release. "From our first conversations, Coach Byington impressed me with his competitiveness, his intensity, his passion for developing young men on and off the court, his love for the game, and his plan to elevate Vanderbilt men’s basketball to new levels of success.

"I was struck by the shared passion that we have for what this basketball program can be and for all that is possible at this great institution. I was also impressed with Mark’s approach to building an elite culture and his desire to fully immerse himself in all corners of Commodore Nation. He has proven his ability to turn programs around at Georgia Southern and James Madison by working tirelessly and communicating a shared vision. I could not be more excited about the future of our men’s basketball program.”

The Commodores parted ways with Stackhouse after five seasons, in which Vanderbilt posted a 70-92 record, 28-60 in the Southeastern Conference. Vandy did not play in the NCAA Tournament under Stackhouse.

Byington spent the past four seasons at James Madison, leading the Dukes to an 82-36 record (.695 winning percentage), which included a 54-15 mark over the past two years. The Dukes won the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season championship in his first season, 2020-21, and captured the Sun Belt Conference tournament title this year.

Prior to JMU, Byington was head coach at Georgia Southern for seven seasons, leading the Eagles to a 131-97 record (.575 winning percentage) during his tenure. Georgia Southern won at least 20 games in each of Byington’s final three seasons at the school.

Byington was an assistant coach for one season at Virginia Tech (2012-13) under James Johnson. But he had a much longer stint at the College of Charleston, where he served as Bobby Cremins’ top assistant for seven seasons.

As a college player for North Carolina-Wilmington, Byington averaged 9.5 points per game during his career (1994-98).

“I’m thrilled and honored to be the head men’s basketball coach at Vanderbilt University," Byington said in the release. "I know Commodore fans are eager for success and we will get there together. I was blown away by the passion and enthusiasm of Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee and Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. We share the same vision that Vanderbilt basketball belongs as one of the nation’s elite programs. I look forward to meeting the fans, alumni, students and all of Commodore Nation. Our time is coming. Get ready!!!”

Byington faces a significant challenge at Vandy, as the Commodores are coming off a 9-23 season, one that marked the third time in five years the team had won 11 games or fewer.

Personnel concerns must be addressed, as the program's point guard, Ezra Manjon, has exhausted his eligibility. In addition, four other key players — forwards Colin Smith and Lee Dort, as well as guards Tyrin Lawrence and Jason Rivera-Torres — have entered their names in the NCAA Transfer Portal. But both Smith and Rivera-Torres have left the door open for a possible return to Vanderbilt.

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.