Former Athletic Director Craig Littlepage is a Virginia legend.
He was the first Black AD in school history. He hired Tony Bennett for men’s basketball in 2009. He hired Brian O’Connor for baseball in 2003. He was the head of the 2006 men’s basketball NCAA Tournament committee. And, in his final year and change as Virginia’s AD, he made three more crucial hires.
The timeline is as follows — June 21, 2016, Littlepage hired Lars Tiffany to coach men’s lacrosse, Aug. 7, 2017, he hired Todd DeSorbo to coach swimming and diving and May 24, 2017, he hired Andres Pedroso to coach men’s tennis. That’s it. Sept. 5, 2017, Littlepage announced his retirement after 16 years as AD.
But whatever happened to those last three Littlepage hires? Littlepage himself was not made available to comment, but that is perfectly fine — the answer is one that requires nothing more than the eye-test.
To put it simply, they win. They win a lot.
Tiffany, DeSorbo and Pedroso have each won at least two national championships in their respective sport and are revered as some of the very best coaches in the world. And, in true Cavalier spirit, they learn from each other. Whether it be on the recruiting trail or attempting to maintain national dominance, this trio views each other in high regard.
“Todd [DeSorbo] and Andres [Pedroso] are gracious servant leaders,” Tiffany said in a written statement to The Cavalier Daily. “Both listen to their athletes and create exceptional bonds with them. Both are wonderful partners as fellow U.Va. coaches who are willing to share best practices as we journey forward together.”
That journey has included more than just national titles. It has also included navigating COVID-19 and now NIL and the House settlement — all landmark obstacles of the contemporary NCAA.
“The three of us have had a lot of conversations about the changing of the NCAA and the climate, and different things going on within programs, and they've been really helpful to me,” DeSorbo said at the final media availability of the 2024-25 season. “Really helpful. Hopefully I've been able to return the favor as well.”
When the trio first started at Virginia, the NIL-fueled systematic changes were still years away from their boisterous introduction. Clearly, things have changed. When recruiting, a program’s merit or school’s academic prestige can occasionally take a backseat to shiny amenities. State of the art facilities, a significant online presence and top-tier equipment are now key pieces of a student-athlete’s college decision.
Tiffany, who has spent decades as a college lacrosse coach, has his pitch ready to go. If a student-athlete wants to get developed into their best self at a world-class institution, Virginia is the place.
“I just walk into Lars’ office, he’s right next to mine, and I just ask him for advice,” Pedroso said on ACC Network. “They’ve been doing this a littler longer than I have, a lot longer, and so they’ve been through everything.”
Sometimes, they battle on the same front — together. The Cardinal are Virginia’s chief rival in swimming, and a formidable one in men’s tennis, as well. So, why not work together on the recruiting trail?
“I do talk to Lars and Andres a lot,” DeSorbo said. “We all kind of started here about the same time — I remember sitting out front of JPJ, talking with Andres about recruiting, and we were recruiting heavily against Stanford. And we were trying to figure out ways to attract athletes here instead of going there.”
In swimming, it is safe to say the Cavaliers have been winning that battle. Championships aside, DeSorbo has been able to beat out the Cardinal — including by taking junior Claire Curzan, formerly of Stanford, to Charlottesville. Their programs may be in vastly different situations right now — DeSorbo’s swimmers just won their fifth-straight national title while Pedroso’s men bowed out before championship weekend — but their programs are both pristine.
When recruiting, all three coaches have a tried and true strategy — trophies. Tiffany, DeSorbo and Pedroso have plenty. Put a few on the desk, and those shiny artifacts will do the talking. But in the current age of collegiate athletics, one where money reigns supreme, how does one maintain dominance?
Well, DeSorbo knows better than any coach in Virginia history. He has steered the Cavaliers to five straight national championships — the most consecutive titles of any Virginia program. Other coaches, including Pedroso, have been quick to pick DeSorbo’s brain.
“It’s been invaluable for me as a younger coach to have people like this in my corner, and that’s the culture,” Pedroso said. “Everyone’s there to help each other and support each other.”
Pedroso, unlike his peers, inherited a Cavalier squad that was coming off of winning the 2017 National Championship. That certainly adds a unique pressure to maintain prestige, in addition to the fact that he had never been a head coach before joining Virginia. Nevertheless, he has the 2022 and 2023 championships to his name and continues to attract some of the best talent in the world.
“Andres knows no boundaries when it comes to the hunt for the next great tennis player,” Tiffany said. “He travels around the globe in the hunt for talent.”
That hunt is one that all three coaches participate in. Despite years of glory, the job is never finished.
“I've spent a lot of time just trying to figure out not how top stay at the top, but how to not fall off the top,” DeSorbo said. “I think it's easier to win one [national title], than it is to continue to win and stay on top of the mountain.”
At Virginia, championships are not some far-fetched dream. Championships are an expectation. Championships are a mindset. Every year is a new opportunity to add to the University’s ever-growing tally of 35 national titles. Over the past decade, this trio has done their part — and capturing additional trophies is more likely than not.
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