Longtime Friends Odom and Aldrich Revive Virginia Basketball

The head coach and associate head coach have reunited to lead the Cavaliers to the NCAA tournament's second round.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 8:48pm

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Ryan Odom and Griff Aldrich met as college freshmen in 1992 and have remained close friends ever since, despite their careers taking different paths. Odom went into coaching, while Aldrich found success in law and finance. But a decade ago, Aldrich joined Odom's staff at UMBC, and now the two are together again as head coach and associate head coach at the University of Virginia. In their first season, they've led the Cavaliers to a 30-5 record and the NCAA tournament's second round, reviving the program after it missed the tournament in three of the previous five years.

Why it matters

Odom and Aldrich's long-standing friendship and collaborative coaching approach have been crucial in quickly rebuilding Virginia into a national title contender. Their ability to attract top transfer talent and foster team chemistry has exceeded preseason expectations, showing the power of their partnership.

The details

Odom and Aldrich first met as freshmen at Hampden-Sydney College in 1992 and played together for four years. After college, Odom went into coaching, while Aldrich pursued law and finance, but they remained close. In 2016, Odom hired Aldrich as an assistant at UMBC, and when Odom took the Virginia job last year, he immediately brought Aldrich on as his associate head coach. Together, they've revamped Virginia's roster with several key transfers, and the Cavaliers have surged to a 30-5 record and a second-round NCAA tournament appearance.

  • Odom and Aldrich met as college freshmen in the fall of 1992.
  • Aldrich joined Odom's staff at UMBC in 2016.
  • Odom took the Virginia head coaching job in March 2025.
  • Odom and Aldrich's first season together at Virginia is the 2025-26 campaign.
  • Virginia defeated Wright State 82-73 in the NCAA tournament's first round on March 22, 2026.

The players

Ryan Odom

The head coach of the University of Virginia men's basketball team, who has been friends with Griff Aldrich since they were college teammates at Hampden-Sydney in the 1990s.

Griff Aldrich

The associate head coach of the University of Virginia men's basketball team, who previously had a successful career in law and finance before joining Odom's staff at UMBC a decade ago.

Dallin Hall

A Virginia guard who has praised the coaching partnership between Odom and Aldrich, saying they "complement each other super well, and they prepare us well."

Ugonna Onyenso

A Virginia forward who believes the team's chemistry and ability to quickly gel despite many new players is a key reason for their success this season.

Dave Odom

Ryan Odom's father, who was an assistant coach at the University of Virginia and attended his son's NCAA tournament game.

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What they’re saying

“They're always making jabs at one another, talking about who would win one-on-one and whatever. They're great. They complement each other super well, and they prepare us well.”

— Dallin Hall, Virginia guard

“It did take us a second just to learn each other's games on the floor. But what we learned really quick was we've got a lot of high character dudes who care about each other and care about this program. That allowed us to mesh really fast.”

— Dallin Hall, Virginia guard

“It was cool. It was motivation for us. We have a team that could make a run in March. We've just got to stay locked into the little things and keep being us.”

— Ugonna Onyenso, Virginia forward

What’s next

The Cavaliers will face No. 6 seed Tennessee in the NCAA tournament's second round on Sunday, March 24, 2026, with a chance to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

The takeaway

Odom and Aldrich's lifelong friendship and collaborative coaching approach have been instrumental in quickly rebuilding Virginia into a national title contender, exceeding preseason expectations and showing the power of their partnership.