New Pitt Basketball Coach Has Son Playing In Pirates' Minor League System
PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA/AP) - Before being named the new Pitt men's basketball coach, Kevin Stallings was in Bradenton cheering on his son, Jacob, who is a catcher in the Pirates' farm system.
The younger Stallings joined the "KDKA Morning News" with Larry Richert and John Shumway to talk about the Pittsburgh connection he now shares with his dad.
"It's been a wild turn of events," Jacob said.
When he isn't playing baseball for Double-A Pirates affiliate in Altoona, Jacob said he helps his dad out with coaching.
"I do advanced statistics for him. I watch game film and practice film in the preseason...We have a pretty extensive playsheet. So, after every game, I'll watch and chart what plays we run and how often we score on them and the percentage and the number of points we score," said Stallings.
Listen to the full interview here:
A former basketball player himself, Jacob is 6-feet-5-inches tall and says he has had some problems with shorter umpires in the minor leagues.
"They try to tell me to get a little lower because they can't see," he said.
His father, Kevin, spent the last 17 seasons with the Vanderbilt Commodores. He has a 332-220 record while leading his team to seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Vanderbilt was 19-14 this season, losing to Wichita State in the opening round of the NCAAs.
The 55-year-old is a two-time SEC Coach of the Year. He led the Commodores to eight 20-win seasons. He takes over for Jamie Dixon, who left Pitt last week after 13 years to take the same job at TCU, his alma mater.
Kevin Stallings is expected to be introduced on Monday.
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