Just days after parting ways with Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, the Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball program announced the hiring of former Richmond Spiders head coach Aaron Roussell on Tuesday evening.
Roussell, who arrives in Charlottesville after leading the Spiders to appearances in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments, has amassed a career record of 460-194 in stops at Division III Chicago (2004-12), Bucknell
(2012-19), and Richmond (2019-26).
“My family and I are beyond excited to lead the UVA Women’s Basketball program into a bright and prosperous future,” Roussell said in Virginia’s official announcement. “We are well aware of the rich history and tradition of this program, and we look forward to putting the UVA program into the nation’s elite on a consistent basis.
A proven winner, Roussell will have a lot to clean up in Charlottesville. Coach Mox’s dismissal, which at first seemed puzzling following the Cavaliers’ historic Sweet 16 run, has since been followed by reports of an internal investigation into her mistreatment of staff.
As first reported by Jerry Ratcliffe, the program had allegedly grown “toxic” under Coach Mox, with allegations that the former Virginia head coach “was abusive to support staff and threatened to fire staff, who were scared for their job security.”
Additionally, Roussell will have to rebuild a roster decimated by transfer portal news over the past few days. After junior guard Olivia McGhee and redshirt junior forward Sa’Myah Smith were the first to hit the portal over the weekend, the big news came as two-time First-Team All-ACC point guard Kymora Johnson joined them on Monday.
Convincing Johnson to recommit to the Cavaliers should be priority number one for Roussell, although it could be a tall task. Johnson is one of the biggest difference-makers in the transfer portal, and no one would blame her for joining a true Final Four contender after three exceptional years leading her hometown program.
Regardless, Roussell has the makings of a home run hire for Virginia and athletic director Carla Williams. Under his leadership, Richmond won back-to-back outright A10 regular-season titles in 2024 and 2025, and his Princeton-style offense will be a refreshing watch after the past four years of stagnant Horns sets.
The pace at which this move was made also suggests that Roussell was very high on Virginia’s list of candidates. Although there has been speculation that Kentucky Wildcats head coach Kenny Brooks got a call about the job, Roussell was clearly a major player in the search from the jump.
With plenty of NIL money to work with and this year’s March Madness run helping to boost the UVA women’s basketball brand, Roussell will have all the tools necessary to get the Cavalier train back on track. Now, it’s time to keep an eye on the transfer portal as we wait to find out who will be donning the Orange & Blue in year one of the Roussell era.
