James Strong Named Davidson Academy Bears Boys Basketball Head Coach
James Strong Named Head Coach for Davidson Academy Bears Boys Basketball Program
NASHVILLE (April 22, 2025) – Davidson Academy is excited to announce that James Strong will join the DA family as the new head coach for the Davidson Academy high school boys basketball program.
Strong played basketball at Vanderbilt University from 1996-2000, leading the Commodores to three postseason appearances. As a junior, Strong led the SEC in steals (77), establishing a Vanderbilt single season record. The Huntsville, Alabama-native earned a bachelor’s degree in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt in 2000.
Strong’s coaching career includes a wide range of experience with college programs. He was a member of Kevin Stallings’ coaching staff at Vanderbilt from 2001-2006. Then, he went on to be an assistant at Furman University for five years. Strong also was a part of Rick Byrd’s coaching staff at Belmont University for eight seasons.
“We are thrilled to have James join the DA family and lead our boys basketball program moving forward, as we continue to prepare our students for college, life, and eternity,” said Athletic Director Kevin Harper. “I’m excited to see how he will incorporate his passion for the game, along with his vast amount of experience and focusing on player development with our student athletes on and off the court, leading with an emphasis on our Christian principles at DA.”
Additionally, Strong made a return trip to the coaching staff at Vanderbilt under Jerry Stackhouse for five years; as an assistant coach (2023-2024), the program’s director of basketball operations (2022-2023), the director of scouting and recruiting (2021-2022), and the director of player personnel for Vanderbilt in the previous two seasons.
“I’m truly honored and blessed to join the Davidson Academy family and become part of this incredible community. Davidson represents the best of all worlds—spiritually, academically, and athletically—and I’m excited to proudly represent the Davidson brand across Nashville and throughout the state of Tennessee,” said Coach Strong. “With a strong tradition of excellence across all sports, Davidson has built a winning culture, and I’m committed to helping the basketball program rise to that same championship standard. It’s a privilege to be here, and I look forward to competing for championships and contributing to the continued success of Davidson Academy.”
He and his wife, Tami, have two children – Kayla and JP.
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Davidson Academy
