Here’s my story on the hiring of Jason Williford:

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Former University of Virginia basketball standout Jason Williford is returning to his alma mater.

Williford, a Richmond native, today accepted an offer from Tony Bennett to become an assistant coach at U.Va., The Times-Dispatch has learned.  It’s not known when an official announcement from Virginia will come. 

Bennett, who recently replaced Dave Leitao as the Cavaliers’ coach, could not be reached for comment.

Williford, 35, has been a Division I assistant for nine seasons.  The first five were at Boston University, where his boss was Dennis Wolff, a former U.Va. assistant.  In May 2005, Williford moved to American University, where he was reunited with Jeff Jones, who’d coached him at Virginia.

American has won the past two Patriot League titles.  In an interview before AU’s game with Villanova in the NCAA tournament’s first round last month, Jones praised Williams’ passion for coaching.

“He didn’t come in thinking that, because he’d played, he had all the answers,” Jones said.  “I think he understands there’s a hell of a lot more to coaching than having played or knowing the game.  He’s really been a student of the profession.”

A 6-6 forward, Williford was The Times-Dispatch’s player of the year as a John Marshall High senior.  He went on to start 83 games for Jones and was a team captain as a senior in 1994-95, when U.Va. advanced to the NCAA tournament’s fourth round.

Williford’s wife, the former Kwamina Thomas, also is a U.Va. graduate.  They have a son, Austin, and are expecting another child.

Twice previously Williford had tried to get an assistant’s position at Virginia.  Not long after Leitao took over as Virginia’s coach in 2005, he offered Williford a job as the team’s director of basketball operations. Williford turned it down, because the position would not have allowed him to recruit or to work with players during practices.

In July 2006, Williford was a candidate to fill the vacancy created by the departure of assistant Gene Cross. but Leitao chose Bill Courtney instead.

Bennett’s new staff also includes associate head coach Ritchie McKay and Ron Sanchez, who was an assistant under Bennett at Washington State.  What Sanchez’ role will be at U.Va. isn’t clear.