CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Little more than two years after being named ACC men's basketball coach of the year, University of Virginia coach Dave Leitao today agreed to resign.
Leitao had four years left on his contract at a salary of about $1 million per year. According to a U.Va. news release, Leitao and the school reached an agreement that will pay Leitao about $2.1 million to end his stay as coach.
U.Va. players learned of Leitao's resignation at a team meeting this afternoon, said Steve Landesberg, father of freshman Sylven Landesberg, the ACC rookie of the year.
The elder Landesberg said of his son is very upset. "They became friends. They got close. He's close with the whole coaching staff. He likes those guys."
Leitao, who came to U.Va. from DePaul University, compiled a 63-60 record in four seasons at U.Va. His teams went 27-37 in ACC regular-season games. Virginia finished 10-18 this season after losing Thursday night to Boston College in the ACC tournament's first round in Atlanta.
Under Leitao, the Cavaliers played in the NIT in 2005-06, the NCAA tournament in 2006-07 and the College Basketball Invitational in 2007-08.
“Dave has been a respected colleague and a fine University representative in the local community during his tenure here. He brought a great deal of leadership, discipline and integrity to his coaching responsibilities,” Craig Littlepage, U.Va.'s director of athletics, said in the U.Va. news release. “I appreciate his hard work and dedication to athletics at the University of Virginia.”
The release said U.Va. would start a national search for a replacement immediately. Littlepage did not specify a time frame for concluding the search. “Our intention is to hire the very best person to lead the University’s basketball program consistent with our overall department goals,” he said. “Our team has a promising nucleus of young players who we expect will continue to develop.”
For more details, check back on TimesDispatch.com and read tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.
-- Jeff White
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement