The Virginia Cavaliers have officially named former associate head coach Ron Sanchez as their interim head coach following Tony Bennett’s retirement this week. Sanchez, who’s been on the UVA staff for a total of 11 years, takes over from Bennett following 15 years at the helm.

Sanchez will now embrace the practically impossible task of replacing Tony Bennett as the leader of the UVA men’s basketball program.

Who is Ron Sanchez?

Sanchez is a 1997 graduate of State University of New York College of Oneonta where he played hoops and was the 1996 State University of New York Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Upon graduating, Sanchez was an assistant at his alma mater for a year before becoming the associate head coach at Delhi College. He then moved to Indiana where he was a volunteer assistant for a few years including during the Hoosiers’ run to the Final Four in 2002.

He then joined Bennett’s staff at Washington State in 2006 and coached alongside the former head coach for three years until they both moved to Charlottesville to start the journey of rebuilding the Virginia program. Sanchez coached at UVA for nine years including three in his current role as the associate head coach before being hired by the Charlotte 49ers’ head coach in 2018.

Sanchez spent five seasons coaching the 49ers, helping to bring the program back from the ashes to a 22-14 record in the 2022-23 season which culminated in winning the CBI Championship. But, after that fifth season down in North Carolina, he returned to Virginia and his role as associate head coach in 2023.

Now, he ascends to the interim head coaching position for the 2024-25 season when he’ll have the opportunity to prove himself and earn the official role at the end of the year.

Notably, UVA athletic director Carla Williams confirmed that Virginia will be conducting a national search to determine who its next full time head coach will be.

Stay tuned to Streaking the Lawn for additional coverage of Tony Bennett’s retirement and of the transition to Sanchez.