Pittsburgh ? Kevin Stallings stressed that “the decision is not made by me” when asked whether he would return for an 18th season at Vanderbilt following a first-round NCAA Tournament flameout against Wichita State.
Turns out, it was.
Stallings abruptly left the Commodores for Pittsburgh on Sunday, trading a program that spent most of his tenure in the muddled middle of the SEC for one trying to forge a new identity in the stacked ACC after Jamie Dixon bolted last week for TCU.
“Coach Stallings and I share the same vision for Pitt — playing in the Final Four,” Pitt athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. “Kevin has a successful track record recruiting the ACC footprint and beyond, and is one of the best coaches in the country at building an offense around his talent. He plays a fun up-tempo style that players love and fans will enjoy.”
Stallings is 455-283 with nine appearances in the NCAAs while at Illinois State and Vanderbilt. The 55-year-old went 332-220 with the Commodores and is the winningest coach in the program’s history. His tenure included seven NCAA berths and trips to the Sweet 16 in 2004 and 2007.
Stallings — who coached under Roy Williams at Kansas University — is expected to be introduced today, a week after Dixon left the Panthers for his alma mater.
Stallings said in a statement he’s excited for the opportunity, one that came as a bit of a surprise following Vanderbilt’s so-so season. Barnes called Pitt “a national job” when describing what he was looking for in Dixon’s replacement.
