At a school with abundant success, who are the top 10 UVA coaches?

Virginia's leaders have captured several ACC titles over the past few years

Mar 19, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; The Virginia Cavaliers women’s swim team celebrates after winning the national championship at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships at Georgia Tech. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

More so than most Power Four schools, Virginia has a wide array of high-level coaches. Most of the Cavaliers’ 27 varsity programs are genuine ACC contenders. There are well over a dozen coaches who excel compared to their competition. But what about comparing them to each other?

When factoring Power Four success — especially relative to what the coach inherited — as well as national relevance, here is how a top-10 list of Virginia coaches could unfold.

10: Ole Keusgen, field hockey 

Keusgen's tenure as head coach may be new, but he was a top assistant for years — contributing to a program that routinely ranks as a top-five team. The key for Virginia field hockey is to make a deeper run in the NCAA tournament and conquer rival North Carolina.

9: Chris Pollard, baseball

Pollard should climb this list soon. His first season was hampered by player injuries and a lack of depth — the Cavaliers bowed out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament after the pitching staff imploded. Virginia baseball reached the heights of a top-10 ranking but ultimately ended the year unranked.

8: Joanna Hardin, softball

Hardin’s placement is based on success relative to what she inherited. Long considered one of the rare ugly programs on Grounds, the softball program has improved from ACC bottomfeeder to an NCAA Tournament team thanks to Hardin’s development. She could continue climbing up this list soon.

7: Steve Swanson, women’s soccer

Virginia women’s soccer may not have the hardware to show for it, but Swanson has consistently kept his program as a nationally ranked contender. Many of his players have gone on to have professional success, and he reels in many high-end recruits. 

6: George Gelnovatch, men’s soccer

Based on sheer accomplishments and longevity, Gelnovatch should be higher on this list. He has several ACC championships on his resume. However, a few other coaches have arguably performed better in the 2020s.

5: Ryan Odom, men’s basketball

Virginia basketball is historically a great program — but Odom inherited a team with essentially zero scholarship players off of a mediocre 2024-25 campaign. He instantly turned the Cavaliers into a 30-win juggernaut that should enter the new season as a top-10 team. 

4: Bowen Sargent, men’s golf 

With two straight ACC titles and a recent national runner-up finish, Sargent has Virginia positioned as one of the best golf programs in the country. 

3: Tony Elliott, football

The reigning ACC Coach of the Year, Elliott is ranked highly because of how he turned a middling program in disarray into a College Football Playoff darkhorse. Under Elliott’s leadership, Virginia won a school record of 11 games in 2025. He has worked miracles.

2: Andres Pedroso, men’s tennis

Pedroso has won a pair of national titles over the past four years, positioning Virginia as one of the very best tennis programs in the country. 

1: Todd DeSorbo, women’s swimming 

There are few (if any) coaches in the country better than DeSorbo. Fresh off of six straight national championships, Virginia women’s swimming is authoring one of the great dynasties in NCAA history.