The new Vandy AD plunges into the job with a big decisive decision



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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) – Vanderbilt's new athletic director, Malcolm Turner, made his first major decision in seven weeks on Friday, separating from basketball coach Bryce Drew.

The decision may have seemed easy to Vanderbilt, who has just finished the worst season in his history. The Drew Commodores did only 9-23, including a campaign from 0 to 18 SEC. It was the first winless season of all SEC programs since 1954.

But many in the country have not seen Turner's decision being so sober. Drew arrived in Vanderbilt with respected references after leading Valparaiso to a pair of NCAA tournaments and a NIT championship. He was probably also outmatched in his first season, coaching a team recruited by Kevin Stallings before the difficulties of the past two years.

Even losing, Drew was successful on the recruiting track. He attracted five-star point guard Darius Garland, an NBA lottery player who was injured in his freshman year, played an important role in Vandy's bad year. l & # 39; history. He has two other four-star commitments en route for next season.

It was believed in basketball circles that this season had been ruined by Garland's injury and that Drew deserved more time to do it with his players.

But what if the program was too far after this year's disaster? It is very far from 0 to 18 years old, and each year a program loses more and more difficulties.

In the highly competitive SEC, Turner felt that a change was imposing, just as Alabama did on Friday.

The question now is whether Turner, who has no experience in university athletics, but who was president of the Ligue G, already has a strong candidate in the running? Or will he learn on the job during his first big coaching search?

Whichever method is used, Turner is about to engage the coach for the Vanderbilt Sports Program, which has long spearheaded the sport. This is perhaps the most important decision he has ever made as a DA, and it's been seven weeks since work began.

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