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Kevin Stallings may be leaving Vanderbilt on a sour note after stumbling to 14 losses in 2015-16, but that's an unfair way to judge the winningest coach in program history. In his 17 years on the sideline, he pushed the Commodores to new heights, attracted NBA talent like Festus Ezeli, John Jenkins, and Wade Baldwin, won an SEC title, and guided Vandy to a pair of Sweet Sixteen appearances.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg for a man who won 332 games for the 'Dores. In honor of Pittsburgh's newest head coach, I pulled together my favorite moments of his tenure in Nashville. Think I missed anything? Let me know in the comments.
2004: Vanderbilt's epic comeback against NC State leads Vanderbilt to Stallings' first Sweet Sixteen
The Commodores, led by Matt Freije, erased a 69-59 Wolfpack lead in the final 2:44 to stun North Carolina State and advance to the second week of the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time the team had advanced to the Sweet Sixteen since 1993.
2007: Vanderbilt beats No. 1 Florida at home, Kevin Stallings and Joakim Noah argue over a loose ball
The Commodores toppled the nation's top team, and Stallings made sure to prove his team wasn't intimidated by the eventual national champions when he got into a brief situation with Joakim Noah on the baseline. Stallings refused to give Noah the ball for an inbounds pass, choosing instead to hold on to it so he could pursue his true passion; berating SEC referees. If not for the sight of the Commodore coach crying into a towel after winning an SEC Championship, this would be the indelible memory of Kevin Stallings' Vanderbilt career.
2007: Derrick Byars and Shan Foster shoot Vanderbilt back to the Sweet Sixteen
There have been a lot of great duos in Vanderbilt history, but Byars and Foster may be the greatest. The two athletic wings had no limit on their shooting range and carried Kevin Stallings to one of the best seasons in school history. This win over three-seed Washington state in double OT proved the team could win anywhere against the nation's top teams.
Byars's game-saving block with three seconds to play in the first overtime gave the Commodores the latitude they needed to stake their claim as one of the nation's top 16 programs in 2007.
2007: Just look at this clown travel
OH GOD WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS
2008: Vanderbilt 93, Kentucky 52
At the half, it was Commodores 41, Wildcats 11. Kentucky had never before suffered such a terrible loss in conference play. Nelt-ner's win-ning! (clap, clap, clap clap clap)
2008: Vanderbilt beats No. 1 Tennessee at home
For the second straight season, the Commodores beat the nation's top team at Memorial Gym. This time, it was against arch-rival Tennessee, which made the win much, much sweeter.
2008: Shan Foster is not human
In a game that was somehow deemed unfit for local broadcast, Shan Foster put together one of the finest shooting performances this world has ever seen. After a dismal first half, the senior defended Vanderbilt's perfect home record with nine straight three-pointers -- including some that went in despite being partially blocked -- to rally the Commodores to a 86-85 overtime victory against Mississippi State. Vanderbilt led for exactly 55 seconds of the game, but it was that last 0:01 after Foster's final three-pointer that sealed a 19-0 season at Memorial Gym.
2010: A season sweep over a top-15 Tennessee team
The pinnacle of the Jermaine Beal Swagger-Dagger, and the living proof that Stallings' recruiting class of 2008 (Brad Tinsley, Lance Goulbourne, Steve Tchiengang, and Jeffery Taylor) would be an all-timer.
2012: SEC CHAMPIONS
Vanderbilt beat No. 1 Kentucky for its first SEC Tournament title since 1952 and paved the way for the team's first NCAA Tournament win since 2007. It also gave us this image:
And that's how I prefer to remember Kevin Stallings' tenure at Vanderbilt.