TheSabre.com Fan Friday: Todd DeSorbo With Team USA + Sean Doolittle Retires

By: Kris Wright |

Virginia Cavaliers
U-V-A! U-S-A!

Virginia fans have another reason to combine the two cheers next year. USA Swimming announced that UVA swimming & diving coach Todd DeSorbo has been named the head coach for the U.S. women’s swim team at the 2024 Olympic Game in Paris, France. DeSorbo served as an assistant coach for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Florida coach Anthony Nesty was named the U.S. men’s swim team coach as well.

“I’m excited to be leading Team USA next summer in Paris,” DeSorbo said in a UVA news release. “I’m looking forward to working with Anthony and the rest of the USA Swimming staff to help the athletes perform at the highest level in Paris.”

That’s a decisively calm-sounding statement. Rest assured that the UVA swimming & diving Instagram post about the mood of the moment is more accurate. DeSorbo is among the most high energy coaches on Grounds right now so he is more than likely dancing on cloud 9.

Virginia also release a social media video that had more in-depth thoughts from DeSorbo on the assignment with Team USA, while Athletics Director Carla Williams shared a post about DeSorbo’s accomplishment as well.

DeSorbo’s thoughts in that video ring true when you consider that four UVA swimmers helped secure 18 medals in Tokyo. At the 2022 World Championships, UVA swimmers helped bring home 9 medals. At the 2023 World Championships, UVA swimmers claimed 10 more medals. Kate Douglass, Paige Madden, Maxine Parker, Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh, and Emma Weyant (who since transferred out of Virginia) all have at least one medal from those events.

Those Cavaliers and others will be trying to make the 2024 Olympic squad with DeSorbo. The roster will be set through the U.S. Olympic Team Trials from June 15-23, 2024.

Certainly, DeSorbo and company are among Cavalier fan favorites in recent years. While their careers are climbing near their peak, another long-time Virginia fan favorite announced that his career has finished. Pitcher Sean Doolittle announced Friday that he is retiring from baseball. Doolittle helped the Washington Nationals win the 2019 World Series and was an MLB All-Star in 2014 and 2018. While at UVA, Doolittle was named the 2006 ACC Player of the Year. He was inducted into the Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.

With fan favorites in mind, let’s wrap up with the weekly fan picks.

Fan(s) Of The Week

Best seat in the stadium.

Student Fan(s) Of The Week

Hoos on the hill.

Feature Photo Of The Week

Mike Hollins was named the first weekly nominee for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award.

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