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16 CAVALIER CORNER BY TYLER BRAIN C hange is inevitable. It is as much a part of life as the sun rising and setting each day or the seasons progressing through their yearly cycle. Life is all about how individuals or teams handle the change. The biggest change for the Virginia men's basketball program in quite some time came Oct. 18 when national championship- winning head coach Tony Bennett retired after 15 seasons in Charlottesville. The four-time ACC Coach of the Year accumulated a record of 364-136 while on Grounds and shepherded the Cavaliers to the 2019 national championship, two ACC Tournament titles, six ACC regular- season titles and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. Immediately following the sudden retire- ment that caught the college basketball world by surprise, longtime Bennett assis- tant Ron Sanchez was named interim head coach for the 2024-25 season. It is an honor that Sanchez has not taken lightly. "First off, I am just incredibly thankful that [UVA director of athletics] Carla [Wil- liams] and President Ryan have given me the opportunity to take the lead here," San- chez said at his introductory press confer- ence. "There are a lot of capable coaches on this staff, but that they selected me is humbling. "The excitement, I cannot even articulate it, but I am also realistic. I know that this is going to be a challenge and I know that there will be some tough days, and I am up for both." Despite the change at the top of the pro- gram, Sanchez and his coaching staff are not looking to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they are working to make the transition as smooth as possible while using things that have made them successful in the past. "I am not sure that Virginia basketball is going to be much different under my leader- ship than it did under Coach Bennett," San- chez said. "The time that has been invested into this place over the last 15 years is the reason why this program has had so much success." Sanchez, who is in his second stint with the Cavaliers, was with Bennett from the beginning before leaving in 2018 to be the head coach at Charlotte. During his time in the Queen City, Sanchez led the 49ers to a College Basketball Invitational champion- ship in 2023. One of the reasons why he THE MORE THINGS CHANGE … Interim Head Coach Ron Sanchez Provides Continuity To Men's Basketball Program After Tony Bennett's Retirement Sanchez, who is in his second stint with the Cava- liers, was with former head coach Tony Bennett from the beginning at UVA before leaving in 2018 to be the head coach at Charlotte. (Photo courtesy UVA)