By Zach Jarvis

Former Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball coach Ryan Odom is leaving Richmond for a new chapter of his career at the University of Virginia. But his time here in Richmond will not be forgotten. In his two seasons at VCU, he coached them to a 52-21 record and the 2025 Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament champion titles, landing them a spot in this year’s March Madness tournament. In their game in the first round of 64, they lost to Brigham Young University, coming up short in a hard-fought game.

Ryan Odom. Photo credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images via Sports Illustrated.

Odom changed how VCU basketball has been viewed in the Richmond area. The Odom era is already being felt in Charlottesville, as Odom landed two four-star recruits and top-five players in Virginia’s 2025 class, Chance Mallory and Silas Barksdale, shortly after becoming UVA’s new coach. Over his years of coaching, he has been able to have a winning record at each school and save struggling basketball programs.

During his time coaching at UMBC, Odom took them to the March Madness Tournament and beat the #1-seeded UVA in 2018, making his new job and the upcoming season at UVA much more interesting. There is basketball history behind Ryan Odom and his career, as his father Dave Odom came before him and creates a legacy that Ryan is on pace to have himself.

Dave Odom. Photo credit: Durham Sports Club.

Dave Odom was an elite coach at the NCAA level, with a career record of 405-279 as a coach in the 1980s to early 2000s. In the earlier part of his career, he was an assistant coach at UVA and part of many successful teams, including a team that made it to the Final Four in 1981, and he coached the No. 1 NBA pick in the 1983 draft, Ralph Sampson. Dave then found a home at Wake Forest, coaching their team to eight tournaments, including Sweet 16 and Elite 8 appearances, becoming the program’s second most-winning coach ever. After his time at Wake Forest, he ended his career at South Carolina. In Columbia, he had a successful few seasons, earning a tournament bid, three NIT appearances, and SEC Coach Of The Year in 2004, He eventually retired at South Carolina in 2008. Dave and his son Ryan share a special ability to change programs into becoming contenders.

Following Ryan Odom’s decision to take the job at UVA, I spoke to his son Owen Odom (‘25) about his time here in Richmond and his experience in the life of basketball. Owen stated, “Being able to travel all across the country, attending games for free, is something many people don’t have the opportunity to do.” The amenities that come with being a coach’s son were something he enjoyed during his time in Richmond. Owen spoke about VCU’s facilities and said that “they are equivalent to NBA-level facilities.”

The transfer to Charlottesville forces Owen to leave many things he cherished behind. The relationships that were built with staff and players are two things he will miss most about the VCU community as his father moves on to the next chapter at UVA. He claims VCU’s band, the Peppas, is the best band at any school his dad has coached and will be something else he misses.

Photo credit: Owen Odom.

For his time at Collegiate, the basketball court was where Owen thrived, starting both years on varsity and recently averaging 10 points a game. Owen played under two different head coaches at Collegiate. Del Harris, now an assistant coach at The Citadel, was Owen’s first mentor at Collegiate and saw Owen grow as he found his stride.

This past season, Owen played under Nick Leonardelli in Leonardelli’s first season at Collegiate, creating a new situation both had to figure out. But Odom had a strong year, taking a role as a team leader and helping win some crucial games, along with a hard-fought loss against arch-rival St Christopher’s.

When asked what Owen is most excited about next year, he mentioned, “Seeing my dad play teams such as Duke and UNC is going to be special and something that I haven’t experienced.” He also spoke about possibly attending UVA and trying out for a spot on the team to have the opportunity to be part of his dad’s new era. One thing for sure is that Owen is going to miss Richmond and every connection made here. At his new home, his love for basketball and outgoing personality will give him the perfect opportunity to thrive, just like he did here in Richmond.

Featured image credit: flickr user P. Morrissey.