Young Frederick: Vandy is dandy

By Katrina Hull     Mar 15, 2001

As a budding basketball player and son of Kansas University athletics director Bob Frederick, Brad Frederick rubbed shoulders with KU coaches Larry Brown and Roy Williams.

As a walk-on at North Carolina, Frederick played two years for Dean Smith, the winningest collegiate men’s coach, and two years for Bill Guth-ridge.

It seems Frederick, now an assistant at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., has a knack for being surrounding by big-time coaches in big-time programs.

“His luck of being around big-time coaches ran out when he got to me,” quipped Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings, an assistant on Williams’ original coaching staff at KU.

Frederick, who graduated from Lawrence High in 1995 and UNC in 1999 as a political science and history major, is in his first season as a full-time assistant with the Commo-dores. He spent his first year out of college as Vandy’s director of basketball operations.

“Brad’s been very fortunate because he has been exposed to great people in this business,” said Stallings, in his second year at Vandy after coming from Illinois State. “He has been a tremendous asset to our staff and a phenomenal worker. He has a lot of energy, is intelligent and is only going to get better.”

Being a college coach was Frederick’s ambition when he arrived on the UNC campus in Chapel Hill, N.C., as a walk-on after starting on Lawrence High’s 1995 Class 6A state championship club. Frederick wanted to learn from coach Smith.

“I’ve always wanted to be in coaching,” Frederick said. “It’s been amazing to be around coaches like coach Williams and going back to coach Brown, then going to Carolina with coach Smith and coach Guthridge. Those are four really big-time coaches. And coach Stallings is having success of his own.

“I’m learning more and more. I’ve picked up the most from coach Stallings because it’s been an everyday thing the last two years. It’s a great opportunity to be in a league (Southeastern Conference) like this and learn from coach Stallings.”

Although Frederick didn’t have much contact with Stallings when Stallings was at KU in the late 1980s and early ’90s, he didn’t go unnoticed. Stallings and the Frederick family lived in the same neighborhood.

“I watched him grow up a few years ago from my backyard,” Stallings said.

Two years removed from college, Frederick is still growing as a coach and trying to gain respect of his players a couple of years younger than he is.

“It’s good in some ways, having gone through it myself and to know what they’re feeling,” Frederick said of being a young coach. “But I’m sure it’s awkward at times.”

Stallings said Frederick is quickly earning the respect of the Commodores.

“They definitely treat him like a coach, as well they should, because that’s what he is,” Stallings said. “He didn’t have to do anything special to get their respect. He’s as-sertive. He’s on the quiet side, but he’s certainly not hesitant to give his opinion. He’s a little reserved. In some ways that’s good. The more he’s in the business, he’ll be at a higher comfort level and he’ll be in even more vocal.”

As the Commodores’ third assistant, Frederick isn’t allowed to go on the road to recruit.

“Two of the three assistants can be on the road,” Frederick said. “I visit with recruits when they’re on campus. Eventually I’ll be on the road.”

Vanderbilt finished the regular season with a 15-14 overall record, including 4-12 mark in the SEC.

“We have a bunch of young players, six freshmen and a transfer,” Frederick said. “We were in good shape for a while, then we got in the heart of the league and it got a lot tougher.”

One of Vandy’s freshman is Shawnee Mission West product Matt Freije, who was named to the SEC all-freshman team.

Vanderbilt headed to the SEC tournament with seven consecutive losses.

“Every now and then you’re in a long losing streak and then you wonder, ‘Hey, is this really what I want to do?'” Frederick said.

“But there are so many things that outweigh the down times.”

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