Ryan Odom, VCU Rams
While Ryan Odom may not have stark connections to the state of Florida compared to other candidates (although he did serve as a GA at South Florida from 1996-1997), Odom’s coaching resume screams he is ready for the ACC.
Odom, the son of former Wake Forest and South Carolina HC Dave Odom, spent time as an assistant at American, Virginia Tech, and Charlotte before a quick D2 stop at Lenoir Rhyne before embarking on his Division One head coaching career.
Odom spent five seasons at UMBC, notably leading the Reterviers to the first-ever 1 versus 16 seed upset over Virginia before spending two seasons at Utah State, leading the Aggies to a 26-win season in 2023.
Now at VCU, which is notorious for fielding high-quality coaches, Odom led the Rams to a 24-win season last year and has the Rams competing in the top half of the A10 once again this season.
Odom won’t be your shiny hire. But he may be just what the Hurricanes need to get back on track in the ACC.
Kimani Young, UConn Huskies assistant
Ever wonder when a UConn assistant finally takes the bait and joins the head coaching ranks? Kimani Young, the associate head coach, may be up next. Even Dan Hurley agrees, stating his assistants are “more than ready” to become head coaches, according to an article by the Connecticut Insider.
Young started his HC career as a manager and video coordinator at St John’s in the late 2000s. He got his first full-time assistant job at FIU under Richard Pitino before leaving to join Pitino at Minnesota from 2013-2018. In 2018, Young was hired by Hurley as an assistant at UConn before being promoted to associate head coach in 2020.
There’s an ever-so-slight Florida connection sprinkled in here. But most importantly, Young is an integral part of a program that has won back-to-back national championships. Young will land a HC gig at some point. Is Miami the best fit? Only time will tell.