CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – In 2019, Tony Bennett and his staff coached Virginia to the NCAA basketball championship, one of the pinnacle moments in UVA athletics’ history. In 2023, Bennett shocked the college basketball community by retiring in October, just weeks before the start of the season.

His staff took over, led by interim coach Ron Sanchez and assistants Jason Williford, Orlando Vandross, Brad Soberberg and Isaiah Wilkins, along with special assistant Kyle Guy and graduate assistant Chase Coleman.

Williford, Vandross and Soderberg were all coaches with the 2019 title team. Guy was a player on the squad.

Sanchez wasn’t retained after the 2023-24 season. While a number of key staff remain at UVA, including strength coach Mike Curtis, trainer Ethan Saliba and associate athletic director Ronnie Wideman, Bennett’s former assistants scattered.

Where are they now?

 

Ron Sanchez, Baylor

Sanchez went 15-17 as the Cavaliers’ interim coach last season, and was dismissed just hours after the team’s 66-60 loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament. A former head coach at Charlotte, Sanchez was hired by Baylor in May. He is the associated head coach for Scott Drew. The Bears are 9-2 so far this season.

 

Jason Williford, Georgetown

Williford spent 16 seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, leaving American to join Bennett’s first staff at Virginia in 2009. Georgetown coach Ed Cooley hired the Richmond native as an assistant coach in the summer. The Hoyas are off to a 8-4 start.

 

Brad Soderberg, Millikin

A former head coach at Wisconsin and Sant Louis, Soderberg – who coached under Tony Bennett’s father, Dick – joined the Virginia staff in 2015. After a decade with the Cavaliers, Soderberg took an assistant position at Division III Millikin University, where his own son, Kramer, has been the head coach since April 2021.

 

Isaiah Wilkins, Cal

Wilkins played at UVA from 2014-18, establishing himself as one of the ACC’s best defenders. He rejoined the Cavaliers in 2021 as a graduate assistant and spent the past two years as an assistant coach. Now? He’s still in the ACC as an assistant at Cal. He’ll be back at John Paul Jones Arena on Jan. 7 when the Bears visit UVA.

 

Orlando Vandross

Vandross worked at UVA for 10 seasons, starting as the director of recruiting and becoming an assistant for the last seven years. He is not currently coaching college basketball.

 

Kyle Guy, NBA G-League

Guy – one of the Virginia “Big Three” who helped deliver the Cavaliers the 2019 national championship – joined the coaching staff at Nevada in April, then left in October to continue to pursue a pro playing career. He is currently with the Indiana Pacer’s G-League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom.

 

Chase Coleman, Navy

Coleman, the energetic walk-on who played at UVA from 2019-2023, is now an assistant coach at Navy for first-year coach Jon Perry. The Midshipmen are 8-5 and have won four straight.