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Vanderbilt expected to hire Bryce Drew as new basketball coach

Vanderbilt is expected to hire ex-Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew as its new coach. Drew will replace Kevin Stallings.

HOUSTON – Vanderbilt is expected to hire Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew, with a source close to the situation saying a deal will likely be in place in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Drew has gone 125-49 in the past five years at Valparaiso, including two NCAA Tournament appearances. This season Drew coached the Crusaders to a 30-7 record and an appearance in the NIT championship game, where they fell to George Washington.

He’ll replace Kevin Stallings, who left the program for Pittsburgh late last month.

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Drew is the son of former Valparaiso coach Homer Drew and the brother of Baylor coach Scott Drew. He’s best remembered in NCAA tournament lore for hitting a buzzer-beating shot against Mississippi in 1998. He’s received significant interest for high-profile jobs the past few years, including Iowa State, Saint Louis and Georgia Tech.

What separates Bryce Drew is his professional basketball experience, as he was a first-round pick by the Houston Rockets in 1998 and played six seasons in the NBA.