UVA Has a GM Opening. Rick Carlisle Just Lost in the NBA Finals. Let’s Connect Some Dots.
Legendary WWE Manager, Paul Heyman, will often use the line “It’s not a prediction, it’s a spoiler”. Let’s be clear right up front: this is not a spoiler, a scoop or any other synonym of that you can think of. We’re not reporting news. We’re just a group of UVA fans here with active imaginations and an offseason to fill. But sometimes, the speculation is just too fun to ignore. So, here goes: Could Rick Carlisle—yes, that Rick Carlisle—be UVA Basketball’s next GM?
Jay Ballard
6/24/20252 min read
Here’s What We Know
Rick Carlisle just wrapped up a deep playoff run with the Indiana Pacers, who lost Game 7 of the NBA Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He’s 65 years old. He’s won an NBA title. He’s done pretty much everything there is to do in pro basketball.
He played at UVA, co-captaining the Hoos to a Final Four in 1984.
He owns a home in Charlottesville.
His daughter went to UVA.
And—this one got people’s attention—Ryan Odom visited him during the Eastern Conference Finals.
All facts. All verifiable. Nothing earth-shattering on its own, but put them together, and it starts to look a little interesting.
🧩 There’s a GM Opening in Charlottesville
Since Ryan Odom took over as head coach, there’s been no official announcement of a General Manager accept that there would be one, and it would be after the first roster was put together. Many speculated, and some reported that Curtis Staples was in consideration. The Cavalier Connection loves Curtis, and know he would be a great GM, but no news to this point doesn’t bode well for his chances.
With college basketball increasingly resembling the NBA—roster management, NIL deals, transfer portal traffic jams—a GM-type figure is becoming more and more essential.
Could UVA tap into its own history to fill that role? Could a basketball mind like Carlisle’s help navigate the new era from behind the scenes?
Again: no inside info here. Just putting puzzle pieces on the table and wondering aloud.
🏀 Carlisle’s UVA Ties Run Deep
He’s not some celebrity alum with a vague connection to the program. He played here, led here, and still spends time here. His daughter came through Grounds. He’s rooted in the area.
He doesn’t need another coaching job. But could he want a new kind of role? Something quieter, with less travel and fewer postgame pressers—but still close to the game and to a program that helped launch his career?
That’s the kind of “retirement” a lot of basketball lifers would sign up for.
🤝 Odom + Carlisle?
It’s impossible to ignore the fact that Ryan Odom made time to visit Carlisle during one of the busiest and most pressure-packed stretches of the NBA season. Friends catching up? Possibly. Something more? Who knows.
All we’re saying is… it wouldn’t be crazy if they talked shop. And it wouldn’t be impossible for that to turn into something more official.
Bottom Line
We’re not making predictions. We’re not quoting sources. We’re just dreaming out loud—like fans do, especially during the summer when there’s no basketball and too much time to think.
Could Rick Carlisle become UVA’s next GM?
Probably not.
But… maybe?
And if he does, don’t forget where you heard the crazy idea first.