Press Box: Erasing the ‘stepping stone school’ narrative

Alexis Washington, Staff Writer 

Coming off an Atlantic-10 regular season championship and punching a ticket to March Madness was an exciting moment for VCU’s men’s basketball team. Yet, not enough to keep head coach Ryan Odom.

Odom was with the Rams from 2023 to 2025, and now begins his new career at the University of Virginia, according to CBS6.

This is not the first time the VCU community has had to adjust to a new coaching staff. Mike Rhoades was with the Rams for six years before Odom. Rhoades led the team to an A-10 regular season championship and tournament championship in 2023 before becoming the head coach at Penn State University.

Rhoades is on a seven-year contract with $25.9 million in total guarantees and can earn just over $1 million in additional incentives, according to ESPN. 

Odom signed a six-year contract at the University of Virginia where he will make $3.25 million in his first year, according to 247Sports. UVA is in a Power-5 Conference, which is a pay raise from VCU.

All of these coaching changes have fans wondering, is VCU a stepping stone university?

The answer is simple: Yes. 

There is no denying that VCU is a great basketball program, but it’s been hard to retain coaches.

This school is a resume booster. This is a common strategy used by coaches of any sport, where they join a team, achieve significant accomplishments and then move on once they’ve made their impact.

However, this is unfortunate for players which leads a lot of them to enter the transfer portal. For instance, redshirt second-year guard Alphonzo “Fats” Billups III entered the portal, according to 247Sports. 

Billups joined the Rams in 2022, and Phil Martelli Jr. would be his third coach in the span of three years. 

Though that may not be his only reason for transferring, it certainly plays a factor. 

Programs thrive when there’s stability, rather than constant change. Athletes value coaches who are genuinely invested in their development and who serve as mentors. Similarly, coaches seek players who are fully committed to the game and who contribute to team dynamics.

Here are three ways VCU can address this challenge:

Change conferences – Compared to big conferences like the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and Southeastern Conference, The Atlantic 10 is a mid-major basketball conference. I understand changing is easier said than done, but VCU should consider it. We will never grow as a basketball program if we do not compete at the highest level. Also, this could increase the program’s funding. 

Use money as an advantage – The moment the NCAA announced players could make money, it fundamentally changed the landscape of college basketball. Whether we like it or not, money plays a major role in athletes’ decisions. VCU will begin to pay their athletes in a house settlement on top of Name, Image and Likeness, according to CBS6. The athletic program needs to use this as a way to retain players. 

Build relationships – Coaches and players benefit from each other. Coaches need success to secure their careers, while players rely on coaches to help them grow and refine their skills —  if the relationship is all transactional it can fall apart. It’s important to build connections on and off the court. 

VCU has the potential and the resources to develop a national championship-caliber basketball program, but this can only happen if we don’t have to always rebuild. I’m tired of clinging to the 2011 Final Four run — it’s time to create a new legacy.