Just a day after being named the new head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers, Ryan Odom has already secured his top assistant.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich will join Odom’s staff in Charlottesville as the associate head coach. Longwood confirmed Aldrich’s departure, announcing that assistant Ronnie Thomas will take over the program.
Coaching carousel news: Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich is leaving his post to be Ryan Odom's associate head coach at Virginia, per a source.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 23, 2025
Aldrich has been Longwood’s head coach since 2018, leading the team through one of its most successful periods. Over seven seasons, he posted a 127-100 record, surpassing 20 wins three times. Under his leadership, the Lancers made two NCAA Tournament appearances (2021-22 and 2023-24), won the Big South Tournament, and saw Aldrich earn Coach of the Year honors in 2021-22.
Aldrich’s connection to Odom goes back decades. The two were teammates at Division-III Hampden-Sydney College, and Aldrich later earned a law degree from UVA. He began his college coaching career in 1999 at Hampden-Sydney but stepped away from the profession for 16 years. He returned in 2016 to join Odom’s UMBC staff as director of basketball operations, recruiting, and development before taking over at Longwood in 2018.
Since his official introduction as UVA’s head coach on Saturday, Odom has been busy, securing the re-commitment of four-star guard Chance Mallory from Charlottesville and now adding Aldrich to his staff. Virginia will hold Odom’s introductory press conference on Monday at 3:00 PM ET at John Paul Jones Arena, with the event open to the public.
As UVA basketball undergoes major changes, STL will continue providing the latest updates.
Be the first to comment