Eisspeedway

Ron Sanchez

Mark Sanchez
Current position
TitleInterim head coach
TeamVirginia
ConferenceACC
Biographical details
BornSan Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
Playing career
1993–1996SUNY Oneonta
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996–1999SUNY Oneonta (asst.)
1999–2001SUNY Delhi (asst.)
2001–2003Indiana (asst.)
2003–2009Washington State (asst.)
2009–2018Virginia (asst.)
2018–2023Charlotte
2023–2024Virginia (associate HC)
2024–presentVirginia (interim HC)
Head coaching record
Overall75–78 (.490)
Tournaments4–0 (CBI)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
CBI (2023)

Mark Sanchez is a college basketball coach who is the interim head coach for the Cavaliers men's basketball team at the University of Virginia. He was appointed interim head coach in October 2024 following Tony Bennett's surprise retirement.[1]

He previously served as the head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 2018 until he resigned following a 22-14 season to rejoin the University of Virginia as assistant head coach on June 6, 2023.[2][3][4]

Playing career

Sanchez played collegiately at SUNY Oneonta where he was a two-time SUNYAC all-conference selection, and SUNYAC Player of the Year for the 1995-96 season. He was inducted into the Red Dragons' athletic hall of fame in 2007.[5]

Coaching career

After graduation, Sanchez assisted his alma mater for three seasons, before taking an assistant coaching position at SUNY Delhi from 1999 to 2001. While completing his master's degree studies, Sanchez served as a volunteer assistant coach at Indiana under Mike Davis and was on staff during the Hoosiers' national runner-up season in 2002.[6][7]

After Indiana, Sanchez joined Dick Bennett's staff at Washington State as director of basketball operations, and was elevated to assistant coach when Tony Bennett took over the helm of the Cougars, where he was a part of the team's 2007-08 Sweet 16 squad. Sanchez followed Bennett to Virginia, served as assistant coach from 2009 to 2018, and was part of three ACC regular season championship seasons, two ACC tournament championships, and six NCAA tournament teams including an Elite Eight run in the 2016 NCAA tournament.

On March 19, 2018, Sanchez was named the 11th head coach in Charlotte men's basketball history.[2] On June 6, 2023, he resigned after winning the CBI Championship in a 22–14 season and rejoined Bennett's staff at Virginia as associate head coach.[8]

On October 18, 2024, Bennett unexpectedly announced his retirement from UVA and Sanchez was elevated to interim head coach for the season.[1]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Charlotte 49ers (Conference USA) (2018–2023)
2018–19 Charlotte 8–21 5–13 13th
2019–20 Charlotte 16–13 10–8 4th
2020–21 Charlotte 9–16 5–11 11th
2021–22 Charlotte 17–14 10–8 8th
2022–23 Charlotte 22–14 9–11 5th CBI Champion
Charlotte: 72–78 (.480) 39–51 (.433)
Virginia Cavaliers[9] (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2024–present)
2024–25 Virginia 3–0 0–0
Virginia: 3–0 (1.000) 0–0 (–)
Total: 75–78 (.490)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References