UVA Basketball Coach Search: Is Ryan Odom the Frontrunner?

William Smythe | Mar 16, 2025

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

As soon as Coach Tony Bennett announced his surprise resignation last October, Ryan Odom’s name followed. Why wouldn’t it? The 50-year-old head coach of VCU, formerly of Utah State and UMBC, respectively, has the connections that lead directly to Charlottesville. In 2018, Odom’s Retrievers pulled off the greatest upset in NCAA Tournament history, defeating Bennett’s first-overall Cavaliers in the first round.

“We’re all sad we’re not going to see [Bennett] on the sidelines anymore,” said Odom in a press conference ahead of VCU’s preseason scrimmage against the ‘Hoos. “His players love him, his coaches love him, and he’s done so much for their school and for their basketball program and their fanbase.” Bennett made public his respect for Odom, as well, after Virginia’s loss in 2018, giving credit to him and his staff for contributing to the highest-scoring output against the ‘Hoos by any opponent that season. That’s March’s unpredictability on display.

If we wind the clock back even further, we can trace Odom’s Charlottesville roots back to his father’s eight-year tenure as an assistant under Virginia’s Terry Holland. Once a ball boy at University Hall, he expressed his admiration for Virginia after the Retrievers’ shocking upset: “Obviously Virginia’s a special place,” said Odom. “It was a special time for the Odom family when we were there, and we were just fortunate to be a part of it.” His father, Dave, would move from Charlottesville to Winston-Salem, where he’d end his Wake Forest career as the most decorated coach in program history. 

If Virginia wants a coach who understands this program’s value, Odom is the choice. No plausible candidates have the connections that he brings to the table, unless Liberty’s Ritchie McKay is being considered. Moreover, what about his qualifications?

The Head Coaching Stops: UMBC, Utah State, VCU

Firstly, I would be remiss not to mention that current Virginia assistant coach — Orlando Vandross — worked alongside Odom at UNC-Charlotte from 2011-15. In his postgame remarks against Virginia, Odom included the following in his opening remarks:  “I love Orlando Vandross like he’s my brother.” One would imagine that he retains his former colleague and friend among other candidates, at least. It’s tough to curate a staff at a new destination.

At UMBC, Odom completely turned around a program that had suffered from eight-straight losing seasons, seven of which saw fewer than ten wins. In only his second season at the helm (2017-18), the Retrievers won their first America East Tournament title since 2008 and pulled off the first upset of a No. 1 seed by a 16. UMBC’s offense also solved the riddle of Virginia’s defense, first nationally according to KenPom.

Surprisingly, Odom remained in Baltimore for three more seasons. The Retrievers weren’t able to capture lightning in a bottle again, but they did finish a COVID-riddled season (2019-20) as regular-season champions in the America East. In the spring of 2021, he announced his move to Utah State — a program well-situated in the competitive Mountain West.

Albeit dealing with growing pains in Year One, Odom showed significant improvement in his second season in Logan. The Aggies finished 16th in KenPom’s offensive ratings and 28th overall, and a backcourt of Steven Ashworth (16.2 PPG) and Max Shulga (11.9 PPG) paced an offense boasting multiple high-level shooters. They are now averaging 16.6 PPG and 15.5 PPG at Creighton and VCU, respectively. Shulga followed Odom to Richmond in the spring of 2023.

Odom has once again taken a leap in his sophomore season at a potent mid-major in VCU, a school whose coaching tree boasts the likes of Penn State’s Mike Rhoades, McNeese’s Will Wade (formerly at LSU), and Marquette’s Shaka Smart. All who enter the Siegel Center exit to become major conference coaches. Odom is primed to continue that trend, whether it be at Virginia, NC State, or perhaps Villanova if that job opens soon.

Despite a home loss to Dayton in the regular season finale, the Rams still have a chance of making the tournament as an at-large candidate. A loss to George Mason, Dayton, or Saint Joseph’s/Loyola (IL) may not be catastrophic, but you have to beware the favoritism offered to power-conference schools on the bubble. Frankly, it’s hard to justify Oklahoma (6-12 SEC) or North Carolina (1-11 in Quad One games) receiving a Big Dance bid over VCU or UC-San Diego if either of those two don’t win their conference tournaments. 

A tournament berth is what many are expecting from Odom in his second year. Arguably a more basketball-rich program than some power conference schools, VCU has a track record of successful regular seasons, and, of course, miraculous runs in March, pioneered by another Virginia coaching candidate and former Ram — Shaka Smart. Odom, like Wade, could seek a move elsewhere after two years as VCU’s head coach.

Positives: Program familiarity, portal success, and balance

Let’s revisit the question raised by new coaches in this current landscape, who often start from scratch with new staff at their next stops. Odom, however, secured former Ram and Siena assistant coach Darius Theus on his staff alongside Director of Student-Athlete Development Bradford Burgess — a driving force in VCU’s run to the Final Four in 2009. Plenty of ex-Utah State assistants and staff followed Odom to Richmond, as per usual, but he made a concerted effort to bring in program veterans. This would be celebrated at Virginia, with three recent alums — Chase Coleman, Isaiah Wilkins, and Kyle Guy — currently on staff.

We’ve gone over Odom’s fit in Charlottesville. Now, what about his capacity to navigate the current landscape in college basketball? All five of his starters are portalers, and four committed to him directly through that vehicle. Shulga and former guard Sean Bairstow followed him from Utah State, while guard Joe Bamisile’s roads led back to Richmond — his hometown. This season, guard Philip Russell came from UT-Arlington, and forward Jack Clark from Clemson. There shouldn’t be questions around Odom’s prowess within the portal game.

All signs seem to point to a torchbearer, who, albeit possessing significant experience as a head coach, still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Also, other options such as Marquette’s Shaka Smart, Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington, and Sanchez fit a similar mold in terms of age (Odom is 50, while the others are 47, 48, and 53, respectively). While Bennett was 39 at the time of his hiring in 2009, age shouldn’t be a limiting factor for Odom in this race.

VCU’s balance also provides evidence that he won’t have to sacrifice the ‘Hoos’ defensive integrity for offensive firepower. The Pack Line will likely go extinct at Virginia for the first time in 16 years, but Odom has churned out two top-40 KenPom teams in terms of defensive ratings and has leaned on a physical, veteran roster in his sophomore campaign. At Utah State, he could overwhelm opponents with his flamethrowing backcourt, as evidenced by a team-wide 38.7% three-point shooting percentage and 78.2 points per game scoring offense.

Adjustments based on personnel should be welcomed at Virginia. Perhaps the 2020-21 roster could have looked more free-flowing offensively with future NBAers Sam Hauser, Jay Huff, and Trey Murphy III on the roster, and the Pack Line ran its course with this year’s roster. A bit of an offensive renaissance wouldn’t hurt.

Negatives: Buyout, lack of many portalers from VCU, Virginia’s core, other options

Odom carries a $10 million price tag with him. “Buyouts” provide a severance package of sorts for fired coaches, or, on the other hand, travel with them to a subsequent school in the case of a parting of ways. Virginia would thus be responsible for paying VCU $10 million over a certain period as part of Odom’s contract. Also, his name has repeatedly appeared in conversations surrounding NC State’s opening, which may clash with that of Virginia.

He is familiar with NC State’s Athletic Director Boo Corrigan, as well, and hails from Durham, North Carolina. Corrigan’s father, Gene, held the same position at Virginia from 1981-90 and would later commission the ACC and the NCAA (as President). 

Although he has demonstrated a shrewd tendency to rebuild in short order, much of Odom’s current VCU roster wouldn’t have the eligibility to move with him to Charlottesville. All five of his starters are either fifth or sixth-years, and that leaves junior forward Christian Fermin (4.9 PPG), sophomore guard Alphonzo “Fats” Billups (3.0 PPG), freshman forward Luke Bamgboye (3.5 PPG), and freshman guard Terrence Hill Jr. (3.5 PPG) as the most natural transfer candidates from the jump. Who knows if any of these four would even follow him elsewhere. Candidates such as Smart, Byington, and arguably Drake’s Ben McCollum would offer a higher level of immediate transfers from their respective schools.

Losing some of Virginia’s promising contributors is also a concern. This wouldn’t be fair to pin on Odom, though, since most would presumably enter the portal to explore their options following a coaching change. It might take some convincing to retain junior guards Andrew Rohde — a player who has witnessed massive improvement in his second year in the ACC  — and Isaac McKneely, one of the nation’s best from behind the arc.

Moreover, it’d be a shame if Virginia lost its hold on freshman center Anthony Robinson, a bruising defender and rebounder who has provided a much-needed spark for the ‘Hoos this season. Bennett talked about this young core’s potential, but a new coach might not see eye-to-eye with that plan. Odom might be more in line with Bennett than others, however, considering how he brought Theus and Burgess in as ambassadors of a proud VCU program. 

Yes, Smart has landed back-to-back two seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and Byington has the Commodores overachieving by a significant margin in Year One. McCollum has won at every stop and has notched a school-record 30 wins in his first season at Drake, all while garnering Missouri Valley Conference’s regular-season title and tournament title after the Bulldogs’ win over Bradley; more impressive is how a roster assembled from players at his last stop — D-II Northwest Missouri State — has adjusted to a higher level with such ease. Some see Odom as a backup to these three, and VCU’s potential to miss out on the Big Dance would be a major blemish with the expectations that the Rams carry in the Atlantic 10.

Virginia will move quickly. Could Odom, even if bounced from the Atlantic 10 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, still land the job? That’s up for Carla Williams and the search committee to decide.

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