According to a report from Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor, the Raptors have chose to name Jerry Stackhouse as the next head coach of their D-League affiliate, the Raptors 905. Reichert notes that the 905’s first head coach, Jesse Mermuys, left earlier this offseason to become an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Since that time Stackhouse started up his own AAU team in the Atlanta, Georgia area and even coached this year’s No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram during that time. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association, so he certainly knows the ins and outs, and what it takes to be a professional.
It’s hard to get a gauge for how effective Stackhouse may be as the man in charge, and it will be interesting to see how the young players respond to him.
Stackhouse will come to the position after spending a year as an assistant with the big league squad working under head coach Dwane Casey. Stackhouse also credits Doug Collins as an offensive influence.
Those influences, playing career and experience as an assistant coach has led Stackhouse to having a quick climb up the Raptors coaching ladder. Stackhouse described that experience as “more pressure-filled than AAU” during an interview with the Toronto Sun. This will be their second year as a D-League franchise. He also impressed in Las Vegas last month, where he spent part of the Summer League as the Raptors’ head coach, helping the team to the top seed in the annual tournament.
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Despite his lack of coaching experience, Stackhouse is still an incredible option to help mold aspiring National Basketball Association players. It’s the D-League for everyone, after all, and Stackhouse is on a good timeline just three years removed from the end of his playing career.
