On Thursday, Virginia Cavaliers associate head coach Griff Aldrich was hired as the new head coach at Pepperdine. After one year on the UVA sidelines, and several previous seasons in the Commonwealth, Aldrich will be taking his talents out west for a new opportunity.
Aldrich, Ryan Odom’s college teammate, left his head coaching gig at Longwood in the 2025 offseason for a pay raise and the opportunity to work under his longtime friend. He was
hugely valuable as a recruiter for the ‘Hoos, both thanks to his eye for talent and his rolodex of connections in the basketball world.
Although Aldrich moving thousands of miles away from his roots may seem like a curious decision, this new opportunity should be viewed at as yet another promotion for the 51-year-old. Pepperdine will give him significantly more resources than those of Longwood, and likely another steep pay raise. Aldrich will also have the opportunity to compete in an increasingly competitive West Coast Conference, following the departures of Gonzaga (Pac-12) and legendary Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett (Arizona State).
Virginia will now be on the market for someone to fill Aldrich’s shoes as the team’s associate head coach. That could come via an internal hire from one of the coaches who came with Odom to Charlottesville. Or it could be an outside hire (like Aldrich was, joining UVA from Longwood last year).
