CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The irresistible and poignant backstory of Ryan Odom’s arrival as Virginia’s basketball coach last spring was his decades-long connection to the program.
Odom fell in love with the game growing up in Charlottesville, where his father, Dave, served as an assistant coach during the 1980s. He lionized players such as Ralph Sampson, Ricky Stokes, Rick Carlisle and Richard Morgan, watching them lead the Cavaliers to the 1984 Final Four and ’89 Elite Eight.
But know this: Odom also fell for UVA football. He saw the likes of Don Majkowski, Shawn Moore, Terry Kirby and Chris Slade vault the Cavaliers to their first bowl appearance (1984), ACC championship (1989) and a No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press poll (1990).
“I grew up on that hill,” Odom said of the student hangout behind Scott Stadium’s north end zone.
So more than most, Odom revels in a 2025 season that has, to date, been a Virginia football revival.
First, it’s a flashback to his youth. Second, it’s an asset to his program, which took the stage Wednesday at the ACC’s preseason basketball gathering here in Charlotte.
“It really adds to the health of the university, the atmosphere for the students,” Odom said. “You couldn’t be at that (Florida State) game and not feel it, the sense of pride that all our students and alums had in what they were watching, their excitement to be a part of it…
“When you’re a recruit and visiting and seeing that, naturally, you’re like, ‘Oh, OK. This place, they care.’”
Virginia’s home upset of No. 8 Florida State two Fridays ago, in double-overtime no less, was the most impressive victory of Tony Elliott’s four seasons as coach. Ranked 19th this week by the AP, the Cavaliers (5-1, 3-0 ACC) almost certainly will post their first winning record in six years and, with a talented roster and manageable schedule, are legitimate contenders to reach the league title game.
To those of us of a certain vintage, the result conjured memories of 1995, when Virginia defeated No. 2 Florida State, snapping the Seminoles’ 29-game ACC winning streak.
David Teel: Party like it’s 1995! UVA takes down No. 8 Florida State
And who was on the hill that night as a Hampden-Sydney senior and stormed the field? And who was in the stands 30 years later watching his UVA basketball players, including son Owen, flood the same field? And who intentionally scheduled official recruiting visits for two top prospects that weekend?
Ryan Odom.
“Our players were on the field,” he said. “They were being college students cheering for their football team.”
“It was insane. It was something I’ve never seen before,” said guard Malik Thomas, who began his college basketball career at football power USC.
Teammate Dallin Hall competed the past three seasons for Brigham Young, where last season the football team went 11-2. In his brief time at Virginia, Hall has befriended football players such as defensive end Fisher Camac, cornerback Donavon Platt and linebacker Logan Kotter.
“One of our goals as a team has been to connect with the campus and with UVA,” Hall said. “So we’ve done our best to go out and support a lot of the sporting events. That was a top sporting experience for me. Just knowing (the players) and how hard they’ve been working. People counting them out all the time. Just knowing how much it meant to them, the community.
“That’s why I think the field rush was the greatest field rush of all time. It was an electric sporting event… I’ve been fortunate to see a couple of really good football programs. That’s just an added benefit to being out here chasing my dream playing basketball. I’m grateful.”
And where was Hall among the masses?
“Unofficially,” he said with a smile, “I may have been very close to the end zone when the final interception happened.”
Odom first experienced how power conference football success can be a basketball asset during his tenure as a Virginia Tech assistant coach under Seth Greenberg from 2003-10. The Hokies earned four ACC football championships during that span, while hoops won 87 games in a four-season stretch.
The moment clicked for Odom was September, 2003, when a capacity crowd at Lane Stadium braved remnants of Hurricane Isabel to watch Tech defeat Texas A&M.
By its very nature, football is a more expensive endeavor than basketball. Larger rosters and facilities demand larger investments.
But with college football’s popularity, television riches and payrolls mushrooming, the potential for tension between football and basketball programs is real. UVA avoided that landmine by providing Odom and his staff the resources to finance what is, on paper, a talented roster.
“Look around the country at schools doing both,” Odom said of winning in football and basketball.
Traditional SEC football powers Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn have become consistent basketball forces. Clemson and Duke have been the ACC’s most recent examples, and Odom is well-acquainted with Virginia’s glimpses of dual excellence.
Indeed, the Cavaliers’ 1995 win over Florida State and subsequent conference championship, headlined by Tiki and Ronde Barber, Mike Groh and Anthony Poindexter came eight months after Junior Burrough, Harold Deane and Cory Alexander led UVA to the Elite Eight.
Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter lifted the Cavaliers to the 2019 national basketball championship, and later that year, Bryce Perkins quarterbacked Virginia to an ACC Coastal Division title and Orange Bowl appearance.
Returning to Charlottesville has reconnected Odom with his childhood football heroes. Slade coaches the Cavaliers’ defensive ends, while Moore is an athletics fundraiser. Majkowski attended the Florida State win, and prior to kickoff, Odom spoke via phone with Groh, now the New York Giants receivers coach.
As Odom enters a promising debut season with players such as Thijs De Ridder, Thomas and Hall, and as Elliott attempts to sustain his team’s four-game winning streak, Virginia may be experiencing another halcyon stretch.
“It’s a positive when you witness a fan base come together,” Odom said, “and certainly we have that going now at UVA.”
David Teel, david.teel@virginiamedia.com
