Ryan Odom Takes Over as UVA Men's Basketball Coach

By Josh Burton

The Tony Bennett era comes to a close with a storybook-type ending. Ryan Odom , the coach that once famously led UMBC to a victory over #1 seed UVA, will be the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball head coach.  According to a report from Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, a contract has been signed with an official announcement expected Saturday.  

NEWS: Virginia's Ryan Odom has given Virginia a signature. He'll be the Cavaliers' next coach, sources told @CBSSports.

The school will announce on Saturday.

Story: https://t.co/rGWR2CYQ2I

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 21, 2025

Ryan Odom’s Coaching Career 

Ryan Odom is coming to UVA off a successful two-year stint at VCU, where he guided the Rams to this year's Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles, along with a berth in the NCAA tournament. Odom went 52-20 over his two seasons at VCU and is 222-126 overall as a head coach.

Odom’s first head coaching job was taking over as interim for the Charlotte 49ers mid-season of the 2014-2015 season.  Following that season, he accepted the head coaching position at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, where he led them to the DII Sweet 16.

After just one season at Lenoir-Rhyne,  he took the UMBC job, where in his second season he pulled off the historic upset of the Hoos. Ryan stayed at UMBC for five seasons before taking the Utah State job in 2021,.  He led the Aggies for two seasons, including a trip to the 2023 NCAA Tournament, before heading back east to take over at VCU. 

Although most of Odom’s stays have been short-lived, he’s left each program with a winning percentage over .600 (excluding the interim stint) and won over 70% of his games at VCU. 

About Ryan Odom

Taking the job was essentially a no-brainer for Ryan. A Hampden-Sydney graduate, he has plenty of local ties to the area. As a child he even served as the UVA ball boy while his father, Dave Odom, was an assistant for seven seasons. The Odom family is well-respected in the coaching world.  And at only 50 years of age, Ryan has the potential to be in place with the Hoos for years to come.

What’s Next

This next week will likely be filled with more news.  Coach Odom will need to quickly assemble a staff.  He has two longtime assistants who’ve been with him since UMBC.  It won’t be surprising if they come along.  There’s been talk that current Longwood coach Griff Aldrich, previously on Odom’s UMBC staff, could be a candidate to join him in Charlottesville.  And there are members of the previous UVA staff, including alums, who are open to serving under Odom.  

The transfer portal officially opens on Monday.  Two Virginia players, Blake Buchanan and Dai Dai Ames, have already announced their intention to enter.  There will surely be others.   Roster turnover goes with the territory of a coaching change.  With Odom now in place, he’ll get to work trying to convince some of the current team to stay.  And then, he and his new staff will start recruiting the portal to fill out next season's roster.  

There's also a key recruit announcing on Saturday.  2025 St. Anne's-Belfield guard Chance Mallory will make his college choice known, with the Hoos seen as the favorite.   He previously committed to stay home and play for UVA, then reopened his recruitment following Tony Bennett's retirement.  

I’m excited for the future of Virginia Basketball under Coach Odom. How do you feel about the hire? Join in our discussions on Locker Room Access! Also while you’re there be sure to check out and sign up for updates on Fan Fund, a new way to support all your favorite UVA athletes!

(Image Credit: Getty)