Charles H. "Sonny" Smith is a retired American college basketball coach. Originally from Roan Mountain, Tennessee, Smith served as a head coach for 22 seasons. Best known as the head coach at Auburn from 1978 to 1989, he also coached at East Tennessee State (1976–1978) and VCU (1989–1998). Smith won the 1985 SEC tournament championship while at Auburn, and won both the CAA regular season and tournament titles in 1996 while at VCU. He made six NCAA tournament appearances as a head coach, five at Auburn and one at VCU. Smith was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
VCU Rams baseball represents Virginia Commonwealth University in all NCAA Division I baseball competitions. This program, established in 1971, is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Rams possess an 867–792–5 record with a 155–81 record in-conference (CAA). The head coach for the Rams is Bradley LeCroy. Significant past events are: First place CAA finishes in 1997, 1998, & 2003; 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, & 2010 CAA Tournament champions, 8 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1996; and an average of 30 or more wins in each of the past 11 seasons.
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University of Richmond, Virginia, United States. The Rams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The most successful teams have been the men's tennis and basketball teams, which have had success in their conference and on the regional and national stages. The school's colors are black and gold. The athletic director is Ed McLaughlin. The official student supporter group is known as the Rowdy Rams.
The VCU Rams men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University. The Rams joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 2012–13 season after previously competing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). In 2017, VCU was ranked the 40th most valuable men's basketball program in the country by The Wall Street Journal. With a valuation of $56.9 million, VCU ranked second in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and second in the A-10 Conference. The team is coached by Ryan Odom.
Shaka Dingani Smart is an American men's college basketball coach and former college basketball player. He is the current head men's basketball coach at Marquette University.
The 2009–10 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Shaka Smart's first season at VCU. The Rams compete in the Colonial Athletic Association and played their home games at Stuart C. Siegel Center. They finished the season 27–9, 11–7 in CAA play and lost in the semifinals of the 2010 CAA men's basketball tournament. They were champions of the 2010 College Basketball Invitational.
The 2010–11 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University in the Colonial Athletic Association conference during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rams, led by second year head coach Shaka Smart, played their home games at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. They finished the season 28–12, 12–6 in CAA play and lost in the championship game of the 2011 CAA men's basketball tournament to Old Dominion. They received an at-large bid in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament where they played in the new First Four round, defeating USC.They defeated Georgetown and Purdue in the second and third rounds, respectively, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. They defeated Florida State to advance to the Elite Eight where they defeated Kansas. They advanced to the school's first ever Final Four, being just the third 11 seed in Tournament history to advance to the Final Four, where they were defeated by Butler. The VCU Rams finished 6th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at the end of the season. This was the highest ranking in VCU's history and the highest ranking of any team from the CAA. The 2011 NCAA tournament run by VCU is regarded by some as one of the best Cinderella runs of all time. They are the first men's Division I basketball team that played in the First Four to make it to the Final Four; UCLA made a similar run ten years later. They also join the 2020–21 Bruins as the only teams in the tournament to win five games and not qualify for the national championship game.
The VCU Rams men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of Virginia Commonwealth University, an NCAA Division I member school located in the state's capital of Richmond. The team is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Old Dominion Monarchs baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. The team is a member of the Sun Belt Conference, which is part of NCAA Division I. Old Dominion's first baseball team was fielded in 1931 as the William and Mary College – Norfolk Division Braves. ODU joined Division I in 1977. The team plays its home games at Bud Metheny Baseball Complex in Norfolk, Virginia, where it has played since 1982. ODU has won six conference tournament titles and have been to the NCAA tournament nine times. The Monarchs are coached by Chris Finwood, a native of Hampton, Virginia, who is in his eleventh year at the helm. The Monarchs have had eleven players reach the Major Leagues and two, Justin Verlander and Daniel Hudson, have played in the World Series.
The 2011–12 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was the 44th season of the University fielding a men's basketball program. Led by third-year head coach Shaka Smart, the Rams were coming off a season marked by a run to the Final Four. Expected to finish lower in the CAA regular season standings, the Rams finished as regular season runners-up with a 15–3 conference record, before winning the 2012 CAA Men's Basketball Championship against Drexel, 59–56, earning their 11th ever berth into the NCAA Tournament. It was also the first season since 1984–85 that the Rams consecutively qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Domonic Jones is an American former basketball player. He briefly played for RBC Verviers-Pepinster in Basketball League Belgium in 2011 and Karlsruhe in the ProA during the 2011–12 season before retiring. He is 6'1", 205 pounds and switched between the point guard and shooting guard positions. Jones played college basketball at Virginia Commonwealth University where he was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2003–04.
Frank Leoni is an American baseball coach, currently the head baseball coach of the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers. He played college baseball at Rhode Island from 1988 to 1991. He then served as head coach at William & Mary Tribe (2006–2012), the Rhode Island Rams (1993–2005) and the Marymount Saints (2014–2021).
The 2015–16 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was the 48th season of the University fielding a men's basketball program. The program was led by Will Wade, who was leading the program for his first season after previously coaching Chattanooga. Wade replaced former head coach, Shaka Smart, who resigned from VCU for the vacancy at Texas.
The 1995–96 VCU Rams men's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was the 28th season of the University fielding a men's basketball program, and the program's first season in the Colonial Athletic Association, after previously playing in the Metro Conference. The Rams were coached by 7th year head coach, Sonny Smith.
The 2021 VCU Rams baseball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Rams played their home games at The Diamond as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They were led by head coach Shawn Stiffler, in his 9th season at VCU.
The 2005 Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament was held at Brooks Field in Wilmington, North Carolina, from May 26 through 29. The event determined the champion of the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2005 season. Third-seeded VCU won the tournament for the third time and earned the CAA's automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2007 Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament was held at Brooks Field in Wilmington, North Carolina, from May 23 through 26. The event determined the champion of the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2007 season. Third-seeded VCU won the tournament for the fourth time and earned the CAA's automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2010 Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament was held at Brooks Field in Wilmington, North Carolina, from May 27 through 29. The event determined the champion of the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2010 season. Second-seeded VCU won the tournament for the first time and earned the CAA's automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.
The 2007 VCU Rams baseball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2007 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Rams played their home games at The Diamond as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. They were led by head coach Paul Keyes, in his thirteenth year as head coach.
The 2005 VCU Rams baseball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2005 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Rams played their home games at The Diamond as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. They were led by head coach Paul Keyes, in his eleventh year as head coach.
