Virginia hires VCU coach Ryan Odom, whose father was a Cavaliers assistant
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Virginia athletic director Carla Williams is hoping the obvious choice was the right one.
Williams named VCU coach Ryan Odom — whose father was a Cavaliers assistant and who handed the program its most historic and crushing defeat in the 2018 NCAA Tournament — as the full-time replacement to Tony Bennett on Saturday.
Odom’s season ended Thursday with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to BYU. The Rams are the third team he’s taken into March Madness, leading UMBC and Utah State there in his previous coaching stops.
At UMBC, he made college basketball history, with Virginia on the wrong end of it. Odom’s Retrievers became the first No. 16-seed to upset a 1-seed when they routed the heavily favored Cavaliers 74-54 in 2018.
Seven years later, Odom is being tasked with getting Virginia — which recovered to win the 2019 national championship — back into contention for No. 1 seeds.
Bennett stunningly retired just three weeks before the start of the 2024-25 season. He went 364-136 in 15 years leading the Cavaliers, guiding them to 10 NCAA Tournaments.
His longtime assistant, Ron Sanchez, was named interim coach. Sanchez went 15-17 this year — the first time the Cavaliers have finished with a losing record since 2009-10, Bennett’s first season leading the program.
Williams announced she would not retain Sanchez just hours after the Cavaliers’ season ended with an ACC Tournament loss to Georgia Tech — and speculation immediately turned to Odom.
The 50-year-old Odom wasn’t the only name Williams considered as she focused her search on current head coaches, including New Mexico’s Richard Pitino and Grand Canyon’s Bryce Drew.
But he was, from the start, the favorite for the post in Charlottesville, where he spent much of his childhood, serving as a Cavaliers ball boy and riding his bicycle to University Hall to attend practices after his school day finished.
His father was a Virginia assistant from 1982-1989, when Ryan was in third through 10th grade. The elder Odom helped the Cavaliers reach five NCAA Tournaments, including its 1984 run to the Final Four.
His son became a national name after the UMBC upset of Virginia, and one of the hottest up-and-coming coaches in the game. He went 97-60 with the Retrievers.
Being born in North Carolina and playing his college basketball at Hampden-Sydney, outside of Richmond, Odom surprised many when he went west and took the Utah State job in 2021.
Odom went 44-25 in two seasons with the Aggies, leading them to the NIT and then the NCAA Tournament.
He made his move back east in 2023 when he took over at VCU. In his first season in Richmond, Odom led the Rams to a 24-14 mark and a spot in the NIT. This year, VCU went 28-7 and won the Atlantic 10 championship, putting Odom into March Madness yet again.
His team fell in the first round, 80-71, to BYU on Thursday, and by Friday, his deal at Virginia was all but complete.
Odom takes over a Virginia program that has not won an NCAA Tournament game since defeating Texas Tech in Minneapolis in 2019 for the national title.
His own postseason record, since the monumental UVA upset in 2018, is similarly unremarkable.
He’s 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament and 2-2 in the NIT.
Virginia will formally introduce Odom at a news conference Monday at John Paul Jones Arena.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
-
Virginia to hire Ryan Odom, who once engineered 16-seed upset of No. 1 Cavaliers in NCAA Tournament
Odom has been coaching nearby VCU and has ties to Charlottesville: His father, Dave, was an assistant there in the 1980sCBS Sports - 1d -
Sources: VCU's Odom emerges as top UVA target
VCU coach Ryan Odom has emerged as the target for the Virginia job, and a deal is expected to come together in the upcoming days, sources told ESPN.ESPN - 1d -
College basketball coaching changes: VCU's Ryan Odom goes to Virginia; awaiting Rodney Terry news at Texas
Matt Norlander has the latest intel, including Will Wade's deal at NC StateCBS Sports - 23h -
What VCU coach Ryan Odom said after losing to BYU in the NCAA Tournament
Following VCU’s 80-71 Thursday loss to BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Denver, he declined to answer any questions regarding his future with the program or possible interviews with ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Pelicans assistant Dan Geriot named head coach at Iona following firing of Tobin Anderson
The 36-year-old Geriot was in his 10th season as an NBA assistant, nine years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with the Pelicans.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Bucs hire West Virginia assistant coach as offensive assistant
Todd Bowles adds to his staff by taking away from college team as he continues to build up his offensive staff.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16 -
What qualities could Baker be looking for in next West Virginia head coach?
West Virginia has been thrust back into the search for a head basketball coach. Darian DeVries exited the program after just one 19-13 season, leaving Athletic Director Wren Baker with the task of ...Yahoo Sports - 4d -
Eagles hire UAB chief of staff Cole Peterson as assistant to coach Nick Sirianni
Nick Sirianni has a new right-hand man after Eagles hire UAB chief of staff Cole Peterson as assistant to the head coachYahoo Sports - Mar. 15 -
Rapid recap: West Virginia Athletic Director Wren Baker on coaching search
West Virginia Athletic Director Wren Baker addressed the media ahead of the search for a new head basketball coach. --Baker said that he wanted to thank the team for this season. --Baker said he ...Yahoo Sports - 4d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson will miss the start of the season because of an intercostal strain
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson will begin the season on the injured list because of a mild right intercostal strain. General manager Mike Elias told reporters on Sunday that he hopes ...Yahoo Sports - 5m -
Bengals, Trey Hendrickson contract standoff gets another update
Yet more insider reporting on the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson.Yahoo Sports - 10m -
Reports: Sean Miller leaving Xavier Musketeers to become head coach at Texas
The second stint of the Sean Miller era at Xavier is over.Yahoo Sports - 11m -
NFL free agency: Tyler Conklin departs as New York Jets switch out tight ends
NFL free agency: Tyler Conklin departs as Jets switch out tight endsYahoo Sports - 14m -
Scotland hold off spirited Wales revival in Women’s Six Nations
If Sean Lynn is to restore the feel-good factor to Welsh rugby with his winning pedigree, it will clearly take time. His tenure began with an opening round Women’s Six Nations defeat by a ...Yahoo Sports - 14m
More in Sports
-
Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson will miss the start of the season because of an intercostal strain
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson will begin the season on the injured list because of a mild right intercostal strain. General manager Mike Elias told reporters on Sunday that he hopes ...Yahoo Sports - 5m -
Bengals, Trey Hendrickson contract standoff gets another update
Yet more insider reporting on the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson.Yahoo Sports - 10m -
Reports: Sean Miller leaving Xavier Musketeers to become head coach at Texas
The second stint of the Sean Miller era at Xavier is over.Yahoo Sports - 11m -
NFL free agency: Tyler Conklin departs as New York Jets switch out tight ends
NFL free agency: Tyler Conklin departs as Jets switch out tight endsYahoo Sports - 14m -
Scotland hold off spirited Wales revival in Women’s Six Nations
If Sean Lynn is to restore the feel-good factor to Welsh rugby with his winning pedigree, it will clearly take time. His tenure began with an opening round Women’s Six Nations defeat by a ...Yahoo Sports - 14m