The Virginia women's basketball team finally has found a replacement for departed assistant coach Nikki Caldwell, who returned to Tennessee, her alma mater, earlier this month.
Patrolling the sidelines alongside head coach Debbie Ryan as assistant this season will be former Richmond standout Daryl Oliver, who is coming to Virginia via Western Kentucky, where he was an assistant coach.
Oliver helped the Hilltopper women to a 16-14 record and surprise second place finish in the Eastern Division of the Sun Belt conference. His primary duties were coaching the perimeter players, recruiting and advanced scouting for the team. With Oliver as one of the top assistants last season, Western Kentucky women's basketball reached the first round of the Women's National Invitational Tourament before losing to Illinois in the team's first postseason matchup.
Ryan believes that Oliver is a terrific addition to Virginia athletics and will be responsible for many of the same responsibilities he had at Western Kentucky. He will be involved with recruiting on a primary basis, along with coaching the Cavaliers' perimeter players.
"Daryl is an up-and-coming star in this profession," Ryan said. "He brings a lot to the table in terms of knowledge of the game and in his ability to relate to our players. Daryl has a strong work ethic and is very familiar with our program. He will be involved in every aspect of our program as I prepare all of my assistants to be head coaches."
Virginia fans may recognize Oliver's name, as his brother, Anthony Oliver, was a player at Virginia from 1989-1992. Recent fans may remember Cavalier matchups against Daryl Oliver's Richmond team in the late 1990's. Oliver graduated from the University of Richmond with a degree in speech communication in 1998. He was a two time team captain of a Spiders team that led Richmond to a CAA championship and NCAA berth during his senior season.
After graduation, Oliver coached with Ryan during her summer camps, while substitute teaching during the school year. Oliver also served as the head coach of the Virginia women's basketball club team. He led the team to a 24-5 overall record, while securing the East Coast Division Regular Season and Tournament Championships. In the fall of 2001, Oliver was hired by Western Kentucky as an assistant coach.
Oliver began his duties as assistant coach Tuesday and is a welcome addition to the Virginia Athletic Department.
"I'm truly blessed to have the opportunity to work in the University of Virginia Athletic Department," Oliver said. "It is one of the premiere departments in the country. I hope that I can help continue U.Va.'s strong tradition as one of the nation's top women's basketball programs"
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