RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — VCU Athletics announced on Wednesday that Ryan Odom will take on the role of head coach for the Virginia Commonwealth University Men’s Basketball team.
Odom was previously the head coach for men’s basketball at Utah State University, which announced his resignation on Wednesday, March 29. He has a total of 26 years of collegiate coaching experience and previously the head coached for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Lenoir-Rhyne University, and served as an interim head coach at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. He has also served on the coaching staff for Virginia Tech, American University, University of North Carolina Asheville and Furman University.
In addition to previously coaching for Virginia Tech, Odom has other roots in the commonwealth. He attended Hampden-Sydney College in Prince Edward County, and served as the team captain for the school’s basketball team his senior year.
Odom also comes from a family with a rich coaching history. He is the son of Dave Odom, the decorated former head coach for the University of South Carolina, East Carolina University and Wake Forest University.
Earlier on Wednesday, ESPN announced that Mike Rhoades, the previous head coach for VCU Men’s Basketball, would be leaving the Rams program to take on the head coaching role at Penn State. Rhoades had been VCU’s head coach since 2017.
His departure confirmed by Rhoades himself, as well VCU Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin, on Wednesday.
“My family and I want to thank you for 11 awesome years,” Rhoades wrote in his statement. “It was a dream come true to coach with so many special, talented and passionate players and coaches.”
