After emerging as a possible candidate last week for the Villanova job, Virginia is set to hire VCU’s Ryan Odom as their new head basketball coach. Virginia’s coach, Tony Bennett retired suddenly at the start of the season, and Ron Sanchez was let go last week following a disappointing season. Odom was one of the top candidates for all of the elite head coach openings, but the Virginia signing fits well. So what is the ceiling for Virginia after the new hire? Can he lead them to a championship? What’s the grade for the hire?
Virginia to Hire VCU’s Ryan Odom: Grading the Move
Ryan Odom’s Successful Career
Odom has won with numerous programs. He first led UMBC to the NCAA Tournament where he knocked off the school that just hired him. It marked the first 16 over 1 seed upset in NCAA Tournament history. Following a successful stint there, he moved to Utah State, where he revived the program. He was hired at VCU after leading Utah State to the NCAA Tournament. Odom won 52 games over two seasons at VCU and has 201 career wins. While he only has one NCAA Tournament win, he has three appearances at mid-major schools, including an at-large bid. With Virginia’s resources and fanbase, Odom will have even more resources to put together a strong squad.
Virginia Hires Ryan Odom Because of His Style
Odom is a great coach, but he fits even better with the overall style that Virginia has adopted in recent years. From 2014-2019, Virginia ranked in the top 10 in defensive efficiency every season. Despite that upset loss to UMBC in 2018, they ended that streak with a national championship. It’s clear that defense became a priority and that defense led to a championship. Ryan Odom can bring that same style to Virginia.
While the defensive efficiency didn’t reach that top-10 status, his two years at VCU saw top-40 defenses. His teams slow the game down and seek to grind out wins. Sound familiar? VCU had a talented team, but nothing like those Virginia teams. If he could bring back that same level of talent, there’s no telling what kind of defense he could bring to Virginia.
What’s the Ceiling and Grade?
After lifting a banner, there really is only one expectation. Anything less than a national championship is a disappointment. Odom will be given time to set the program up before there are realistic championship aspirations, but that is the end goal. Virginia is set to hire Odom to bring a championship and he can lead them to that glory. He has to prove that he can win the high-leverage games in the NCAA tournament, but good coaching finds ways to do that.
Out of all the candidates that Virginia could have hired, Odom may be the best one. All the top jobs sought Odom, but Virginia was able to get the deal first. There is always concern about the jump from mid-major to power conference. His NCAA Tournament resume also creates some doubts, but overall, the hire is great. Virginia will likely see a strong improvement in a weak ACC.
Grade: A-
Photo credit: © Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
