Former Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry has found a new gig, and it's an awesome one

I love this. Like, love it.

On Thursday, Virginia Cavaliers head men's basketball coach Ryan Odom announced that he had named former Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry as an assistant coach with the UVA program.

A huge congrats to Red. This is a fantastic move for him, in my opinion. The Cavaliers are coming off an excellent 2025-26 season. Plus, Autry has coached at the high school and college level, previously, in Virginia and throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region (i.e., the DMV, my hometown).

He is a strong recruiter, and he has deep connections in that regard within the DMV, which is about two hours from UVA's campus in Charlottesville. I've always felt that Autry is a solid coach and top-notch recruiter; I just wasn't sure he was up to the task in replacing the Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, especially since that was Red's first head coaching job. Ever.

As I've opined on more than once occasion, perhaps Autry is more destined to be an assistant coach and a lead recruiter at a high-major program. Then again, he could also be a head coach again down the line, and I wish Autry nothing but great success moving forward.

Autry went 49-48 over three terms on the Hill. He was fired last month after the Orange wrapped up a 2025-26 stanza at 15-17 overall, the team's second straight losing season and third in five years. Another SU alum, former Siena boss Gerry McNamara, was introduced as the next head coach at the 'Cuse this past Monday at a wonderful event.

Adrian Autry has found a fabulous new collegiate destination.

Red's new gig also reunites him with Odom. Both were part of Seth Greenberg's staff at Virginia Tech between 2008 and 2010.

In a statement put out by the University of Virginia, Odom said in part that Autry's "integrity, extensive experience, commitment to player development and knowledge of the game make him an invaluable addition to our program."

Autry said: "I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Odom and the Virginia men's basketball program. This is a new chapter for me, and I am ready to get to work."

Odom's first season in Charlotte was a hit. The Cavaliers finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings and, as a No. 3 seed, advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, where they fell to No. 6 seed Tennessee.

In the ACC's preseason poll, UVA was forecast to be No. 5 in the league race. Overall, the Cavaliers sported a 30-6 mark in 2025-26, and the future certainly looks bright for Virginia under Odom. Autry is a nice addition to the UVA staff.

Autry, a former standout point guard for Boeheim, served as an assistant coach for several high schools in Northern Virginia, while also working as an AAU coach in the DMV. The New York City product was then on Boeheim's staff at the 'Cuse, dating back to 2011. Autry was promoted to SU's associate head coach in March of 2017.

To iterate, it didn't work out for Red as Syracuse basketball's head coach. All good. He's going to crush it at his new home in Charlottesville.