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Staunton Today
By the People, for the People
Virginia Cavaliers Part Ways with Women's Basketball Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton
The university announces a national search for a new head coach after Agugua-Hamilton's Sweet 16 run.
Apr. 4, 2026 at 7:51pm
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The University of Virginia has announced that Amaka Agugua-Hamilton will not return as the head coach of the women's basketball team next season. Agugua-Hamilton had guided the Cavaliers to a surprising Sweet 16 appearance in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the program's first since 2000, after taking over a team that had gone 5-22 the previous year.
Why it matters
Agugua-Hamilton's departure is unexpected, as she had shown signs of turning the Virginia women's basketball program around in her four seasons at the helm. The Cavaliers' Sweet 16 run this year was their deepest NCAA Tournament advancement in over two decades, suggesting Agugua-Hamilton had the team headed in a positive direction.
The details
In four seasons as Virginia's head coach, Agugua-Hamilton compiled a 70-58 record. She took over a team that had gone just 5-22 the year before her arrival and guided them to a 15-15 record in her first season. This past year, the Cavaliers finished 22-12 and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the Sweet 16 before their run ended with a loss to TCU.
- Agugua-Hamilton was hired as Virginia's head coach in 2022.
- In the 2022-23 season, Virginia finished 22-12 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
- On April 4, 2026, the University of Virginia announced that Agugua-Hamilton would not return as the team's head coach next season.
The players
Amaka Agugua-Hamilton
The former head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team, who led the program to a surprising Sweet 16 appearance in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
University of Virginia
The school that has announced it will begin a national search for a new head coach for its women's basketball program after parting ways with Amaka Agugua-Hamilton.
What they’re saying
“We must thank Coach Agugua-Hamilton for her hard work and dedication to our program over the past four years. While the decision to part ways was a difficult one, we believe it is in the best interest of the team and the university to move in a new direction.”
— Virginia Athletics Director
What’s next
The University of Virginia has stated that it will immediately begin a national search for a new head coach to lead the women's basketball program.
The takeaway
Amaka Agugua-Hamilton's departure from Virginia is surprising, given the progress she had made in rebuilding the Cavaliers' women's basketball program. Her Sweet 16 run this past season suggested she was the right person to lead the team back to prominence, but the university has decided to go in a different direction. This move raises questions about the program's future and the university's commitment to sustaining the team's recent success.
