JMU’s Byington named new Vanderbilt head coach

Vanderbilt has named James Madison‘s Mark Byington as its next head coach, the school announced on Monday.

Byington is coming off a historic season at James Madison, leading the Dukes to a program-record 32 wins and the program’s first NCAA tournament win since 1983. James Madison opened the season with a road win over No. 4 Michigan State and started 14-0 before suffering its first loss in early January. James Madison beat Arkansas State by 20 points in the Sun Belt Conference tournament title game and earned a 12-seed in the NCAA tournament.

“From our first conversations, Coach Byington impressed me with his competitiveness, his intensity, his passion for developing young men on and off the court, his love for the game, and his plan to elevate Vanderbilt men’s basketball to new levels of success,” Vanderbilt AD Candice Storey Lee said. “I was struck by the shared passion that we have for what this basketball program can be and for all that is possible at this great institution.”

Against 5-seed Wisconsin in the first round, James Madison never trailed and came away with a comprehensive 72-61 win over the Badgers. The Dukes’ 32-4 season came to an end with a 93-55 loss to Duke on Sunday.

Byington has been the coach at James Madison for four seasons, winning a share of the CAA regular-season title in 2021 and leading the Dukes from the CAA to the Sun Belt in 2023. In his four seasons with the Dukes, he went 82-36 overall.

Prior to James Madison, Byington was the head coach at Georgia Southern for seven seasons, winning 20 or more games in each of his final three seasons with the Eagles.

He has assistant coach experience at Virginia Tech, Charleston and Virginia.

“I know Commodore fans are eager for success and we will get there together,” Byington said. “I was blown away by the passion and enthusiasm of Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee and Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. We share the same vision that Vanderbilt basketball belongs as one of the nation’s elite programs.”

At Vanderbilt, Byington will replace Jerry Stackhouse, who was fired earlier this season after five seasons with the Commodores. Stackhouse led them to 22 wins in the 2022-23 season, but failed to reach the NCAA tournament.