Some clarity on how Sanchez learned he was fired

By Jerry Ratcliffe

There has been lots of speculation about when exactly Virginia interim basketball coach Ron Sanchez knew that he would not be retained after Wednesday’s loss in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

Sanchez guided UVA to a 15-17 record (8-12 ACC), after the Cavaliers stumbled to a 1-6 conference record early on.

The 53-year-old coach, who took over for Tony Bennett after Bennett shocked the basketball world with his sudden resignation only weeks before the season began, was near tears at one point of his postgame press conference following the loss to Georgia Tech, a team that UVA had beaten in 20 of the last 22 meetings, including 13 straight.

Sanchez was teary-eyed while listening to the team’s leading scorer, junior Isaac McKneely, tell the media how much the coach had meant to the Cavaliers this season, inspiring them to overcome adversity and fight to the end.

There has been speculation that Sanchez was told after the game, but before the press conference, that Virginia was moving on after a national search that began months ago. Other stories said he wasn’t told of his firing until Virginia’s team plane landed back in Charlottesville.

Neither were correct.

According to a source close to the program, Sanchez learned his fate well after the game, after the press conference, when Virginia’s team returned to their hotel in Charlotte before heading to the airport. He was informed by UVA AD Carla Williams when Sanchez and the team returned to the hotel, so he flew home with the knowledge that he would not return.

Whether or not he informed the team before he left the hotel isn’t known.

Asked during the press conference if he believed he deserved the opportunity to keep his position, Sanchez didn’t hesitate with his reply.

“Absolutely,” Sanchez said. “I’m a good basketball coach. I have confidence in that I’ve been tutored by the right people. People can measure it with wins and losses, but there’s so much more than the 30 games you play. How you sustain, how you treat people, how you manage, what kind of leader are you?

“Anybody can do this when it’s easy. It takes something different to navigate the ship and stormy waters. I’m 10 times the better coach than I was on October 18.”