On Monday, the world of college basketball experienced a whirlwind of coaching changes. Firstly, Kyle Smith left his position at Stanford to join Washington. Next, James Madison coach Mark Byington was hired by Vanderbilt, just 18 hours after his team was defeated by Duke in the NCAA Tournament.
Sources confirmed the news to CBS Sports. Despite their loss, the Dukes had an impressive season, finishing with a 32-4 record and being ranked 62nd at KenPom.com. Their tournament run began with a notable victory over Wisconsin, marking their first NCAA tournament win since 1983.
Under Byington’s leadership, JMU transformed into a strong mid-major program over the past four years, posting an 82-36 record and guiding them through a conference transition. Vanderbilt’s decision to hire Byington signifies the end of the coaching carousel for high-major programs, with only Louisville, Oklahoma State, and SMU still having vacant head coaching positions.
