Ron Sanchez is out as Virginia’s basketball coach.
Sanchez, who took over for longtime head coach Tony Bennett after his surprise retirement in October, served as the Cavaliers’ interim head coach this season. Following their loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament on Wednesday, the program opted to officially part with Sanchez.
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“I am grateful to Coach Sanchez for accepting this role during such a critical time for the program.” athletic director Carla Williams said in a statement. “Ron is the ultimate professional because he cares deeply about this program and this University. He is an exceptional person because he is gifted as an empathetic and caring human being. He is beloved within our department and in the UVA community. Ron and the staff provided great stability, guidance and support for the young men on the team and we are thankful for his commitment to UVA and the values that are foundational to Virginia men’s basketball.”
Bennett announced just before the start of the season in October that he was retiring immediately. He had been with the program for 15 seasons while turning the Cavaliers into a powerhouse in the ACC. After suffering one of the worst losses in NCAA tournament history as a No. 1 seed in 2018, they returned the following season to win the national championship.
In total, Bennett went 364-136 during his time at Virginia. He won six regular season ACC titles and reached the NCAA tournament 10 times.
After Bennett stepped down, the Cavaliers opted to promote Sanchez to serve as their interim coach for the season. He had spent 11 years with the team after two stints as an assistant there. They went 15-17 on the season, which marked the only time since Bennett’s first year with the program that they didn’t finish with a winning record. Georgia Tech beat them 66-60 in the second round of the ACC tournament on Wednesday, which ended the Cavaliers’ season.
Sanchez said after the game that he felt he deserved a chance to serve as the team’s full-time coach moving forward.
“Absolutely. I’m a good basketball coach,” he said, via 247 Sports. “I have confidence in that. I’ve been tutored by the right people. I have enough experience with me. Whatever job I take, I’m going to do a good job. People can measure it with wins and losses, but there’s so much more than the 30 games that you play.
“How you sustain a group, how you treat people, how you manage, what kind of leader are you when things are hard. Anybody can do this when it’s easy. It takes something different to navigate the ship in stormy waters,” he continued. “I think that’s what I’m most thankful for. Not the victories — now, I’m thankful for the hard times that we had because today I’m 10 times a better coach than I was on October 18.”
Now, though, the program is going in a different direction.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
