Ryan Odom to stay at UMBC, shut down reported interest in Virginia Tech
Despite reports linking him to Virginia Tech, UMBC coach Ryan Odom isn’t going anywhere.
Gene Wang of the Washington Post reported on Saturday that Virginia Tech was planning to announce Odom as its new head coach — replacing Williams, who left the university for Texas A&M on Tuesday.
Odom, though, shut that down.
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“Nothing to it,” Odom texted to the Baltimore Sun on Saturday.
Odom would have made sense at Virginia Tech, as he served as an assistant coach there from 2003-10. He spoke with Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock about the job, according to Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, however a deal was never reached. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard withdrew his name for consideration for the job on Saturday, too, according to USA Today.
The 44-year-old signed a contract extension after last season, which will keep him with UMBC through the 2023 season and increased his salary to $425,000 per year. His buyout increased to $225,000 for the duration of his contract, per the Baltimore Sun.
Odom has led UMBC to a 67-37 record in three seasons, and famously led the Retrievers to an upset win against Virginia in the 2018 NCAA tournament — marking the first time in history that a No. 16 seed knocked off a No. 1 seed. They have won at least 21 games in all three seasons under Odom, and reached the American East tournament championship the past two years, though they fell to Vermont by 17 points this season.
Williams led Virginia Tech to three-straight NCAA tournament appearances during his five-year stint with the Hokies, compiling a 100-69 record.
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