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Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings issued the following apology after an incident with Wade Baldwin following Vandy’s 73-65 win over Tennessee Thursday night.
“After the game, an incident occurred in which I need to apologize for,” Stallings said in a statement. “One of our players acted inappropriately and violated what we believe is good sportsmanship following the game. In my haste to resolve the situation, I made a very inappropriate comment. While obviously it was not meant literally, it was still inappropriate. I apologized to the player immediately following the game. Displaying good sportsmanship is of the highest priority in our program win or lose. I am very remorseful of my actions tonight.”
An angry Stallings was videotaped telling Baldwin, a freshman guard out of St. Joseph-Metuchen (N.J.), “Apologize, we don’t do that. I’ll f—ing kill you,” after he was notified by a Tennessee assistant Baldwin was clapping near several Tennessee players in the game’s final seconds.
Stallings didn’t see the incident when it happened and then launched his verbal tirade at Baldwin.
He later told Baldwin, “I told you 100 times.”
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Baldwin was known to taunt opposing players and coaches during his time at St. Joe’s, where he was a teammate of Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns, but Stallings’ heat-of-the-moment actions clearly crossed the line. He apologized to Baldwin, but obviously wasn’t happy with what occurred.
“Wade’s got some things to learn, some growing up to do, if he’s going to play in this program,” Stallings said in his post-game presser. “One of their assistants said that he went and clapped in one of their player’s face after the game. We will not do that, or not get by with it. We believe in sportsmanship and so that’s not a part of who we are or who we’re going to be. He better understand that that’s his one, and it better never happen again.”
Baldwin wrote on Twitter: “Coach Stallings is the best coach in America. I felt no offense to anything. We are both fiery people and that’s why I chose Vandy.”
