Prior to his senior year at Hampden-Sydney, Ryan Odom worked in the banking world as an intern. Standard fare for an economics major.
The summer in Charlotte, North Carolina, convinced him that office life was not for him, and as he mused about the future with his best friend and basketball teammate, Griff Aldrich, the path ahead was apparent for both.
Coaching.
Odom immersed himself in the business immediately after graduation, Aldrich years later after earning his law degree at the University of Virginia and forging a career in finance. Introduced as Hampden-Sydney teammates in 1992, they have been confidants since.
“Watching a friend thrive in his calling is a great joy,” Aldrich said Saturday, when UVA named Odom as its head coach, the fit as comfortable as your favorite jeans.
That calling is rooted in the Cavaliers and Charlottesville, where as a boy Odom watched his father, Dave, serve as Terry Holland’s top assistant coach from 1982-89. The Odoms then moved to Wake Forest, where Dave coached Tim Duncan and the Deacons to consecutive ACC Tournament championships and Ryan starred at Reynolds High.
“Ryan grew up on the old ACC,” said Aldrich, a Norfolk Academy graduate who just completed his seventh season as Longwood’s head coach. “So in some ways — I’m not saying it was destiny — but this is extremely meaningful to him.
“I think the Virginia opportunity and the Virginia job — he and I haven’t talked about this — but perhaps even more than Wake Forest, Charlottesville and Virginia is where his love for the game blossomed at a young age.”
Odom’s teams are 222-127 in his 10-plus seasons as a head coach, which include tenures at Charlotte (interim), Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, UMBC, Utah State and VCU. His squads have played myriad styles, some more proficient offensively (Utah State in 2023) and others more gifted defensively (VCU this season).
But the Charlotte cameo excepted, he’s been a postseason staple. His Rams this year won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and conference tournament before losing to Brigham Young in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
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Tony Shaver coached Odom and Aldrich at Hampden-Sydney and marvels at how Odom has navigated the expectations inherent with being the son of a distinguished coach.
“I think our program was a great environment for him to mature and kind of test himself a little bit,” Shaver said from his North Carolina beach home, “and my goodness, he’s done just that in the coaching world, hasn’t he? He’s proven his ability over and over.”
Aldrich described Odom as a man of character and faith intent on building genuine relationships with players, staff, donors and fans.
“That’s been a consistent theme for Ryan,” Aldrich said, “and I think they’re getting an elite basketball coach. Ryan is a tremendous mix of strong relational skills as well as on-court acumen.”
Some will carp that Odom has never run a major-conference program or coached a team beyond the first weekend of the Division I NCAA Tournament. But guess what?
Nor had Dan Hurley before Connecticut hired him following his impressive, but not stunning, tenures at Wagner and Rhode Island. Nor had Scott Drew when Baylor plucked him after his maiden head-coaching season at Valparaiso. Nor had Nate Oats in four years at Buffalo when he landed the Alabama gig.
The point is, there are no foolproof résumés. Head-coaching transitions are inherently risky, and no amount of experience can eliminate the risk.
Tony Bennett was the national Coach of the Year in his rookie season at Washington State and steered the Cougars to the Sweet 16 the following year. But how many of us — my hand is raised — questioned whether his deliberate offense and grinding defense would serve Virginia well in the ACC?
Moreover, as Bennett’s October retirement affirmed, many of the requisite qualifications for major college basketball and football head coaches have fundamentally changed with the advent of athlete compensation and the transfer portal.
Regional recruiting connections and living-room charm for home visits are far less vital. Find a coach who can X and O, manage players of varying skills — and salaries! — and otherwise serve as a corporate CEO. Then shower that coach with the money and personnel needed to acquire elite talent.
That’s how you win.
Odom, VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin and Rams donors adopted quickly to the new world during Odom’s two seasons there. Max Shulga is the textbook example.
Odom recruited Shulga to Utah State, and when Odom left the Aggies for VCU, Shulga followed. He led the Rams in scoring last season, a performance that attracted suitors.
Sure enough, Shulga hopped into the portal and committed to the Big East’s Villanova. But VCU retained him with a counteroffer, and this season Shulga, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, led the Rams back to the NCAA Tournament.
That’s what they call return on investment.
Odom’s charge at Virginia is to use that approach, which Bennett resisted, to restore the Cavaliers to prominence.
“This is probably one of (Ryan’s) greatest strengths,” Aldrich said. “He’s got a real quiet confidence. It’s not arrogance, but it’s confidence. I also think one of the great things about Ryan is this is not life or death to him, and that’s what I perceive Tony Bennett was like, and frankly, I wish I was more that way.”
Aldrich was on Odom’s UMBC staff in 2018, when the Retrievers shocked UVA in the NCAA Tournament, a defeat the Cavaliers used as a springboard to the next season’s national championship. Moreover, he and Odom have often discussed reuniting.
Might Odom follow the example of Bennett, who upon taking the Virginia job in 2009 recruited a friend and sitting head coach, Liberty’s Ritchie McKay, to join his staff?
“No comment,” Aldrich said with a laugh.
Aldrich’s fiery sideline and practice demeanor would be a stark contrast to Odom’s chill approach.
“I really admire his calm during ballgames,” Shaver said. “I think he’s displayed great feel as a coach, great timing as a coach. He seems to know when to call that timeout, and when you come out of that timeout, he’s always got his team ready to make a great play. …
“I think he’s such a great fit for UVA, his academic background, his basketball background. I think he’s a guy that will represent them exceptionally well in every way.”
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