Vanderbilt fell to Kent State, , and the season boomeranged from the cusp of the Top 25 to the worst SEC record — in league play — in history. Their first formal meeting came when Drew got dismissed. Vanderbilt fired Drew after just three seasons , which included an NCAA tournament appearance, the best recruiting class in school history and no whiff of impropriety. But Vanderbilt fired Drew halfway through his six-year contract, leaving him disappointed that a school with a prior track record of patience pulled an about-face.
There was the injury to Garland, who projects to be the highest Vanderbilt draft pick since The athletic director who hired him, David Williams, announced his retirement in September and tragically died in February.
Even more puzzling than the firing were the steps that led up to it. Drew said Turner attended just one practice, they had no sit-down conversations prior to the dismissal and they only interacted a handful of times. It offered collaborative ideas, detailed areas for improvement and specific solutions. Drew never got a chance to hand him the document. We never had a chance to sit down and talk. Georgia coach Tom Crean, who knew Drew from when they both coached in the state of Indiana, was disappointed by move.
I think it was handled wrong. Young coaches need to bear that in mind. But full-fledged complaints? Drew has been a Waldo-like basketball figure interwoven through varying levels of the game for more than two decades, which makes him reappearing soon on a sideline somewhat inevitable.
Drew branded himself as an eternal March hero by hitting a game-winning shot for No. He went on to become a first-round NBA pick, selected No. After six seasons in the NBA and part of one overseas, Drew returned to college coaching and worked for his father at Valparaiso.
That led to six seasons as an assistant at his alma mater before taking over in He has spent so much time with his family that he jokes that his 4-year-old son, Bryson, never wants him to work again. Drew bragged of Bryson getting three hits in his baseball game this week. Drew has gone bass fishing in Kentucky and traveled with his wife, Tara, and Bryson to Destin, Florida.
He has also begun adjusting to life outside the coaching bubble, which included downloading the Uber app this week for the first time. The Vanderbilt staff had pitched Garland, a Nashville-area native, on playing a ball-dominant Trae Young-like role in the offense. With no hint his job was in danger, Drew redshirted Ejike Obinna, a second-year center who started 14 games as a freshman. The move was to benefit the long-term development of the player and program, as Drew admitted that Obinna could have helped them win at least two or three more games and will likely start full-time next season.
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Surprises, overreactions and everything we learned on opening night in men's college basketball. Mar 17, Close Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in Graduate of University of Delaware. Follow on Twitter. In , Drew assembled the greatest recruiting class in Vanderbilt history when he signed two five-star prospects.
One of those players, Darius Garland, played only five games that season but was still drafted fifth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Draft. In , Drew worked as an ESPN studio and game analyst, visited college and pro coaches and spent time with his wife, Tara, and 5-year-old son, Bryson. Drew's Christian faith has been embedded in his life, as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes member, Athletes in Action player and a coach at faith-based universities.
Drew played six NBA seasons after being drafted 16th overall by the Houston Rockets in , where he started 41 games in Iba Citizen Athlete Award for sportsmanship.
Valparaiso kept the Cinderella slipper for another round, beating Florida State in overtime to become the program's first Sweet 16 team. Drew finished with two Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year awards and a school-record 2, points.
He averaged His No.
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