Reichert: Raptors 905 To Name Former NBA All-Star Jerry Stackhouse As Head Coach

First reported by Upside & Motor editor Chris Reichert, former NBA All-Star Jerry Stackhouse is expected to be named as the next head coach of the Raptors 905. Stackhouse would replace Jesse Mermuys, who left the team after one season to join Luke Walton’s staff with the Los Angeles Lakers.

After ending his 18-year NBA career following the 2012-13 season, Stackhouse started his own AAU squad in the Atlanta area. With that team, Stackhouse had the opportunity to coach this year’s 2nd overall pick Brandon Ingram, among other standout college players.

That AAU experience was beneficial to Stackhouse, as the former NBA vet joined Dwane Casey’s coaching staff in Toronto during the 2015-16 season. Even before the regular season began, Stackhouse took on a valuable role inside the Raptors coaching staff, as he explained in a late October interview with TSN:

In that same TSN article, Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg stated that Stackhouse’s basketball mindset is influenced by some of the coaches he had over his long career as a player. Like most UNC alums, Stackhouse stated that legendary coach Dean Smith was the finest coach he ever played with. Alongside that, Stackhouse credits Avery Johnson, a coach of his in Dallas and Brooklyn, as someone that he took a lot of defensive principles from. 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. After that first season, Stackhouse was named head coach of the Raptors Summer League team. Stackhouse described that experience as “more pressure-filled than AAU” during an interview with the Toronto Sun.

As Jerry Stackhouse heads to the Raptors 905, there’s going to be more pressure put on his shoulders. With the Raptors 905, Stackhouse will be put to the task of developing young players, including those on the Raptors’ roster, for a future opportunity to help with their big league club.

Despite his lack of coaching experience, Stackhouse is still an amazing option to help mold aspiring NBA players. Spending 18 years in the NBA, where he played a total of 970 games with eight teams, Stackhouse might be the best D-League coach when it comes to knowing the day-by-day grind of being a professional basketball player. That statement in itself is the main reason as to why Jerry Stackhouse should be an important part of the future of the Raptors 905 and the Raptors organization in general.