Ron Sanchez

Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 4th Season Alma Mater: SUNY-Oneonta '97

Ron Sanchez is in his fifth year as an assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Virginia.

Sanchez was an assistant men's basketball coach at Washington State University for three years before coming to UVa. During that period the Cougars participated in the NCAA Tournament twice and in the National Invitation Tournament once. Washington State reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2008. The Cougars tied the school record with 26 victories in both 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Prior to serving as an assistant coach at Washington State, Sanchez was the coordinator of men's basketball operations for the Cougars for three years. He joined the staff at Washington State after spending two years as a volunteer assistant in the men's basketball program at Indiana. While at Indiana, he earned his master's degree in athletic administration/sports management. Indiana finished as runner-up for the NCAA Championship in 2002.

Sanchez is a 1997 graduate of the State University of New York College at Oneonta where he played basketball. He was named the State University of New York Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 1996. He also earned the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship Most Valuable Player award that season.

Sanchez was an assistant coach at SUNY-Oneonta in 1998-99 and served as associate head coach at Delhi College (N.Y.) for two years. Delhi posted a 31-2 record for the 2000-01 season, won the Region III championship and finished fourth at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Championship Tournament.

"I'm excited to bring Ron to Virginia," Virginia men's head basketball coach Tony Bennett said when Sanchez joined his UVa staff. "I was with him for six years at Washington State, so he's familiar with me. Ron is one of the most loyal, hard-working individuals I know and he has ties in the New York area that should benefit our program."

Sanchez and his wife, Tara, have a son, Raelon, and a daughter, Rose Marie.