Former CEO, law firm partner Griff Aldrich has Longwood hoops on the rise

FARMVILLE, Va. — In this small central Virginia town called Farmville, the claim to fame has been massive furniture warehouses that promise to satisfy any shopper’s preferred style.

It isn’t known as an NCAA Tournament town.

This week, both things are true.

Welcome to Longwood University, where Griff Aldrich, a former lawyer and CEO, and Rebecca Tillett — both hired the same day four years ago — have the Lancers men’s and women’s teams in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in each program’s history.

Aldrich’s journey to Farmville is an intriguing tale.

Six years ago, the former partner at a major Houston law firm who became CEO of a private equity company he founded, walked away from that success to pursue his long-held dream of coaching college basketball.

“I think it’s not just the game. I think we really felt called to do this,” Aldrich, 47 and a devout Christian, said in a recent interview. “And there’s a real spiritual component that’s involved here because when I was in the private sector, everything was about climbing and promotion and things like that.”

The Longwood women’s team also made history, winning its first Big South Tournament title several hours after the men.

Yes, March 6 was a big day for Farmville.

It was so big that March 7, although it was spring break on campus, about 200 people gathered to welcome the teams back to town.

Fittingly, both Lancers teams will make their tourney debuts on Thursday.

Longwood (26-6), a 14th seed, will face third-seeded Tennessee (26-7) in the first round of the men’s tournament in Indianapolis. The women (21-11) will face Mount St. Mary’s (16-12) in a matchup of No. 16 seeds in the inaugural women’s First Four in Raleigh, N.C.

Aldrich has seen firsthand what can be accomplished by an underdog with a solid foundation.

A repeat performance as a giant slayer certainly would put a smile on Aldrich’s face. He was a part of the biggest upset in men’s tournament history.

Aldrich was in his second season with UMBC when the Retrievers became the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 overall seed in the men’s tournament, knocking off Virginia, 74-54.

Aldrich had joined the staff of former teammate and friend Ryan Odom at UMBC in 2016 after a 16-year hiatus from the sport while working in Houston. He took a job as director of basketball operations that paid $32,000 annually.

A year later, Aldrich, who played college basketball about six miles from Longwood at Division III Hampden-Sydney from 1992-96, arrived on the Lancers campus. The team has been on the rise ever since.

Longwood doesn’t have many of the spoils major college programs can offer. The Lancers play — and practice — in a 1,900-seat gymnasium with pull-out bleachers on both sides. A new 3,000-seat arena is due to open in 2023.

Nonetheless, Aldrich brought in five recruits his first year. And like most coaches, also has used the transfer portal to fill out his roster.

Justin Hill, a sophomore from Houston who attracted little attention coming out of high school, and Virginia Tech-Wake Forest transfer Isaiah Wilkins, became the Lancers’ first pair of first-team all-conference selections. Wilkins also was the MVP of the Big South Conference Tournament.