Editor’s Note: HoosDay is a biweekly sports column that explores the Virginia sports fan experience. Casey Reims is the HoosDay Columnist for the 2026 spring semester.
Virginia has long enjoyed established success in some sports, but for others, the rise has been rapid and unexpected. For three of the University’s principal sports — football, baseball and men’s basketball — fans had significant doubts about the abilities of their respective coaches to revitalize these programs, especially on the heels of Tony Bennett and Brian O’Connor’s departures.
Despite these concerns, we have seen football and men’s basketball make massive strides, while baseball appears poised to return to former glory based on preseason rankings and accolades. Fans should be optimistic that the coaches of these three teams are the right leaders to maintain the successful legacies of their respective programs into the future.
Amidst the evolving landscape of college athletics, coaching remains the common thread that determines the performance of athletic programs. Coach Ryan Odom immediately restored order for men’s basketball. Additionally, and perhaps more impressively, Coach Tony Elliott managed to rise from the ashes and drag Virginia football to relevancy against all odds, ending this past season with an all-time win record and clinching a victory in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl against No. 25-ranked Missouri.
The two programs have achieved something the school has not experienced since 2019 — both are sitting comfortably within the AP’s top 25 rankings. Football resides at No. 16, marking the first time they have finished a season ranked since 2004, and their highest final ranking since 1995. In basketball, the AP has placed the Cavaliers in spot No. 18, after being as high as 17 and 14 the past two weeks respectively.
In today’s world of college football, characterized by intensely competitive coaching cycles, Virginia fans can rest easy thanks to Elliott’s consistent development of, and dedication to, the program. Fans do not have to daydream about their coach being fired — like those at Florida — or wish for their old coach to return like the students at Alabama. Instead, they get the pleasure of focusing on what really matters — football.
Fans also should not fear that this year’s success on the gridiron was a fluke, a result of dice throws going the team's way and unlikely hits in the transfer portal. Creating a winning environment is, in fact, where Elliott’s strength resides as a head coach. Despite being a former offensive coordinator, he is not the same as that of Oregon’s Dan Lanning or Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, who give their team advantages through expert playcalling. He has chosen to designate the in-game particulars to assistants.
Instead, Elliott focuses on the big picture. He creates a winning culture and chemistry within the locker room that motivates players to contribute. His coaching style brings out latent potential in players, and certainly has and will continue to make Virginia a more appealing landing spot. The school has nabbed 12 players from other power four schools just this year in the portal.
Thus far, the resurgence of Virginia basketball seems to be following a similar script. With the power vacuum created by former head coach Tony Bennett’s sudden retirement, Virginia fans appeared apprehensive at the future of their most beloved program. Would the school be able to find a long-term successor? Or would it miss the mark and flail into years of uncertainty? March 22, Athletic Director Carla Williams announced the team had hired its new coach. Odom was selected in an endeavour to return the powerhouse to its former glory — but few Cavalier fans had faith he would be able to fill the giant shoes set out in front of him.
The son of Dave Odom, legendary Virginia head coach Terry Holland's assistant, Odom has been around the program since he was a boy. Now, he has exceeded all expectations and elevated the team back to the ACC championship contender it once was. Odom’s approach has been a complete revamping and retooling of the previous system under Bennett. Long gone are the days of slow-paced, low-scoring basketball. This new Virginia team presses full court, plays with great pace and is not afraid to let three-pointers fly.
While fans may rightfully still be nostalgic for the years of success under Bennett, they should also understand that with the current state of college basketball, Odom’s style is necessary. For the program, Odom has proven himself as a great hire — a man who understands the nuances of the game, the politics of the sport and who holds love in his heart for the University. For the fans, their anxieties have been assuaged — they can rest knowing that men’s basketball seemingly has its coach for the long haul.
Chris Pollard, the new head coach for the baseball team, is aiming to mirror Odom's success and pick up where his predecessor left off. He enters under the huge shadow of Brian O’Connor, who led the baseball team to 14 straight NCAA tournaments, seven College World Series’ and a 2015 national championship. Of the three newcomers, Pollard is the coach who still remains largely unproven.
Fans will be watching this season with great intrigue — the vast majority have never known a baseball squad where O’Connor was not writing the lineup card. Every move Pollard makes will be scrutinized, every dip in performance amplified. But should he not find instantaneous success, fans should remember that while Odom may have spoiled the University, coaches like Elliott serve as a reminder that sometimes it can take a while to find your footing.
Pollard is a man with the experience needed to steer the ship towards victory, and has climbed the college coaching ranks diligently. He started at then-Division II Pfeiffer, and most recently reshaped Duke into a formidable team in the ACC. In the same year Odom led UMBC to their first ever NCAA tournament game win in 2018, Pollard led the Blue Devils to their first 40-win season and NCAA Super Regional in school history.
Now, Pollard will brandish the most talented roster of his career, a Virginia team that finds itself ranked in the top 15 in several national polls. He has also brought over several assistants, recruits and former Blue Devils with him, including standout three-way junior Kyle Johnson. The weight of fans’ expectations rests on Pollard’s shoulders, but there should be no doubt that he has the requisite experience to carry on O’Connor’s legacy of success.
With Elliott receiving the 2025 ACC Coach of the Year award, Odom on pace to coach the Cavaliers to a top 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and Pollard set up for success with a blend of old and new faces, Virginia fans should be ecstatic for the future of the University’s major athletic teams. Odom and Pollard have been hired as long-term replacements for their legendary predecessors and, if everything goes according to plan and Elliott is extended, these will be the program’s coaches into 2030 and perhaps even further. Through the next decade, do not be surprised to find Virginia’s trophy case growing increasingly crowded.
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