Vanderbilt hires James Madison's Mark Byington as next head coach
The Vanderbilt Commodores have finalized the hire of a new basketball coach following the firing of previous coach Jerry Stackhouse.
The program announced Monday evening that it has tabbed James Madison head coach Mark Byington to lead the program. He is fresh off a Round of 32 appearance in the NCAA Tournament with James Madison, having fallen to Duke to end the season.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be the head men’s basketball coach at Vanderbilt University. I know Commodore fans are eager for success and we will get there together,” Byington said in a press release. “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 has been at James Madison for four seasons now, where he has helped orchestrate a remarkable run.
In addition to the NCAA Tournament appearance this season, the 2022-23 campaign saw the Dukes win 22 games, the most for the program since the 1981-82 season had a program record 24. Before that campaign, Byington was named the Best X-and-O Coach in the Sun Belt Conference, as voted on by the league’s coaches.
In 2022-23, JMU set season records for total points (2,658), total rebounds (1,257), total steals (298) and steals per game (9.03), while the Dukes’ scoring average of 80.5 points per game was the third-highest in their Division I history.
Suffice it to say, he coaxed a lot out of his team.
Byington has previous coaching stops at Georgia Southern (head coach), Virginia Tech (assistant coach), College of Charleston (interim coach and assistant coach), Virginia (director of operations and graduate manager) and Hargrave Military Academy (assistant coach).
Vanderbilt entered the coaching market following the 2023-24 season when it parted ways with Stackhouse after five years.
Stackhouse never made the NCAA Tournament and put together a 70-92 (.432) overall record with a 28-60 (.318) mark in SEC play.