Ron Sanchez promoted to associate head coach position with UVA basketball

Virginia men’s basketball head coach Tony Bennett has promoted assistant coach Ron Sanchez to associate head coach. Sanchez has served as an assistant coach at Virginia for the last six seasons after holding the same position on Bennett’s staff at Washington State for three seasons from 2007-09. The Bronx, New York, native was the coordinator of men’s basketball operations at Washington State under Bennett’s father, Dick, from 2004-06.

“Ron has really earned this promotion,” Bennett said. “He and I have coached together for the last 12 seasons, and Ron has been a tremendous coach, person and friend during that time. He has helped build Virginia basketball into a special program and he did the same with my father and I at Washington State. I am very fortunate to have him on my staff in his new role.”

Bennett also promoted Vic Sfera to director of scouting/recruiting and recently added Orlando Vandross as the director of recruiting/player development.

Sfera re-joined the Virginia basketball program as a technology and scouting assistant in 2014-15. Sfera served as a technology assistant at Virginia from 2010-12 before a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Northern Arizona.

Vandross brings 18 years of Division I coaching experience to Bennett’s staff. He spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach for Charlotte after serving 13 seasons at Boston University as an assistant, including three as associate head coach. Vandross replaced Brad Soucie, who joined Ritchie McKay’s staff at Liberty as an assistant coach.