According to ESPN, Bryce Drew is now officially Vanderbilt's new basketball coach. Drew is just the fifth man to lead the Commodores since 1981, and he'll have some big shoes to fill following Kevin Stallings' 17-year tenure on the baseline.
There are plenty of reasons to believe this is a great match between new coach and burgeoning program, but a look at some simple statistics shows just what a big hire this is for Vanderbilt. Drew will arrive in Nashville with a .717 winning percentage over five years as a head coach. No other Commodore hire of the past 35 years has a pre-Vandy coaching record so strong. His four conference titles are also more than any contemporary churned out before coming to Vanderbilt -- though Drew certainly had an easier schedule on his plate than C.M. Newton did against the SEC as Alabama's head coach.
He's also appeared in a meaningful (NCAAT or NIT) postseason tournament in four of his seasons helming Valparaiso. Only Eddie Fogler, who coincidentally was partially responsible for hiring him, had more success before relocating to Memorial Gym.
Here's how Drew's pre-Vanderbilt career stacks up against the early coaching careers of the Commodores' last four hardwood head coaches.
Bryce Drew (2016 - ???)
Years as head coach: Five (Valparaiso)
Overall record: 124-49 (.717 winning percentage)
Conference titles: Four
NCAA Tournament appearances: Two
NIT appearances: Two
Meaningful postseason tournament rate: 80%
Meaningful postseason tournament record: 4-4 (.500)
Kevin Stallings (1999-2016)
Years as head coach: Six (Illinois State)
Overall record: 123-63 (.661)
Conference titles: Two
NCAA Tournament appearances: Two
NIT appearances: Two
Meaningful postseason tournament rate: 66.7%
Meaningful postseason tournament record: 3-4 (.429)
Jan van Breda Kolff (1993-1999)
Years as head coach: Two (Cornell)
Overall record: 23-29 (.442)
Conference titles: None
NCAA Tournament appearances: None
NIT appearances: None
Meaningful postseason tournament rate: 0%
Meaningful postseason tournament record: 0-0
Eddie Fogler (1989-1993)
Years as head coach: Three (Wichita State)
Overall record: 61-32 (.656)
Conference titles: One
NCAA Tournament appearances: Two
NIT appearances: One
Meaningful postseason tournament rate: 100%
Meaningful postseason tournament record: 1-3 (.250)
C.M. Newton (1981-1989)
Years as head coach: 12 (Alabama)
Overall record: 211-123 (.632)
Conference titles: Three
NCAA Tournament appearances: Two
NIT appearances: Four
Meaningful postseason tournament rate: 50%
Meaningful postseason tournament record: 8-6 (.571)