Ron Sanchez is a college basketball coach who most recently served as the interim head coach for the Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team. He was appointed interim head coach in October 2024 following

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

's surprise retirement. He previously served as the head coach of the men's basketball team at the

University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs thr ...

from 2018 until he resigned following a 22-14 season to rejoin the University of Virginia as assistant head coach on June 6, 2023.

Playing career

Sanchez attended James Monroe High School in

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

and played collegiately at

State University of New York at Oneonta The State University of New York at Oneonta, also known as SUNY Oneonta, is a public university in Oneonta, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. History SUNY Oneonta was established in 1889 as the Oneonta N ...

where he was a two-time

State University of New York Athletic Conference The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, consisting of schools in the State University of New York ...

all-conference selection, and SUNYAC Player of the Year for the 1995–96 season. He was inducted into the Red Dragons' athletic hall of fame in 2007.

Coaching career

After graduation, Sanchez assisted his alma mater for three seasons, before taking an assistant coaching position at State University of New York at Delhi from 1999 to 2001. While completing his master's degree studies, Sanchez served as a volunteer assistant coach at

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

under Mike Davis and was on staff during the Hoosiers' national runner-up season in

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

. After Indiana, Sanchez joined Dick Bennett's staff at

Washington State Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

as director of basketball operations, and was elevated to assistant coach when

took over the helm of the Cougars, where he was a part of the team's 2007-08 Sweet 16 squad. Sanchez followed Bennett to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, served as assistant coach from 2009 to 2018, and was part of three

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

(ACC) regular season championship seasons, two ACC tournament championships, and six NCAA tournament teams including an Elite Eight run in the 2016 NCAA tournament. On March 19, 2018, Sanchez was named the 11th head coach in Charlotte men's basketball history. On June 6, 2023, he resigned after winning the CBI Championship in a 22–14 season and rejoined Bennett's staff at Virginia as associate head coach. On October 18, 2024, Bennett unexpectedly announced his retirement from UVA and Sanchez was elevated to interim head coach for the season. He was not retained following the conclusion of the season.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Ron 1970s births Living people Charlotte 49ers men's basketball coaches College men's basketball head coaches in the United States College men's basketball players in the United States Dominican Republic men's basketball players Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball coaches State University of New York at Oneonta alumni Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball coaches Washington State Cougars men's basketball coaches Year of birth missing (living people) Indiana University Bloomington alumni Dominican Republic emigrants to the United States Basketball coaches from New York (state) James Monroe High School (New York City) alumni