Vanderbilt reportedly set to hire James Madison’s Mark Byington as head coach

Following a historic season at James Madison, Mark Byington is making a move to the SEC.

Vanderbilt is set to hire Byington as its next men’s basketball coach, sources tell FOX Sports. The 47-year-old head coach is coming off a memorable campaign, leading the Dukes to a program-record 32 wins and a win over No. 5-seeded Wisconsin in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the program’s first victory in the Big Dance since 1983.

James Madison finished the regular season with a 31-3 record and went on to win the Sun Belt Tournament championship, earning a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Dukes opened the season with a memorable upset win over Michigan State and were ranked as high as No. 19 in the AP Top 25 Poll after starting 14-0 on the season.

Byington went 82-36 in his four seasons at James Madison, which included a 41-23 record in conference play. He led the Dukes to a share of the CAA regular-season championship in his first season at the helm.

Prior to James Madison, Byington served as the head coach at Georgia Southern from 2013-20, where he led the program to four 20-win seasons. He also served as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech, College of Charleston and Virginia. 

Byington takes over for Jerry Stackhouse, who was fired earlier this month after going 70-92 in his five seasons at the helm.

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