Virginia Hiring Former UMBC Coach Who Shocked Them in Historic March Madness Upset

Virginia Cavaliers are set to appoint a new head basketball coach, and in a twist of poetic irony, the man taking the reins is none other than Ryan Odom, the coach who orchestrated one of the most infamous upsets in March Madness history. Yes, the very same Ryan Odom who led the 16-seed UMBC Retrievers to that jaw-dropping victory over No. 1-seeded Virginia in 2018.

The Cavaliers had entered that fateful game as 20.5-point favorites, only to endure a 74-54 drubbing that left college basketball fans everywhere stunned. It was a historic first: no 16-seed had ever toppled a No. 1 seed before. Odom's UMBC squad didn't just win; they dominated, particularly in the second half. That memory must hit a little differently for Virginia fans now.

Odom’s career since that legendary upset has been a journey. After leaving UMBC in 2021, he took on the head coaching role at Utah State before moving to VCU in 2023. This past season, however, his VCU team fell short in the first round of the NCAA tournament, losing to sixth-seeded BYU. Despite that, his overall record at VCU stands at an impressive 52-21, and his career coaching record is 222-127. Clearly, Virginia sees a bright future with him.

Odom will be succeeding Ron Sanchez, who served as the Cavaliers' interim head coach following the sudden retirement of Tony Bennett in October 2024. Bennett, who led Virginia to a national championship in 2019 (a year after their historic loss to UMBC), cited NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) pressures as a significant factor in his decision to step down. "If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be all in," Bennett said at his emotional retirement conference, adding that he felt the current state of college athletics was leaning closer to a professional model that he was not equipped to navigate.

Virginia’s recent tournament performances haven’t been stellar. Since their 2019 championship run, the Cavaliers have suffered early exits and a missed tournament appearance this year. With Odom’s arrival, fans are undoubtedly hoping for a revival of the program’s glory days.

Interestingly, coaching is in Odom’s blood. His father, Dave Odom, was a Virginia assistant coach in the 1980s. Now, Ryan Odom will take on the responsibility of leading the Cavaliers, carrying with him the weight of history and the high expectations of one of college basketball’s most passionate fan bases.

And let’s not forget, UMBC remains in exclusive company when it comes to shocking No. 1 seeds. Only Fairleigh Dickinson has joined them in that elite club, upsetting Purdue in 2023. Out of 160 matchups between 1-seeds and 16-seeds, only two have gone to the underdogs. Ryan Odom’s name will forever be etched in that storybook chapter of March Madness, and now, he’s looking to write a new one with Virginia.