Virginia head coach Tony Elliott is locking in a key piece of his support staff, officially promoting Justin Speros to General Manager of the Cavaliers' football program. The announcement, made in conjunction with athletics director Carla Williams, marks a significant step forward in UVA’s continued efforts to build out a modern, NFL-style front office.
Speros is a familiar and highly trusted face in Charlottesville. He enters his fifth season overall with the program, having initially joined Elliott’s inaugural staff in 2022 as the director of scouting. His sharp eye for talent and strong organizational skills have played a vital role in his promotion to director of recruiting later that fall.
Over the last three seasons, Speros has quietly become the backbone of Virginia's off-field operations while earning recognition as a finalist for the FootballScoop Director of Player Personnel of the Year award. During that time he has played a key role in managing roster numbers and distributing scholarships, oversaw evaluations for high school and transfer portal players, has directed on-campus recruiting visits, and served as the program's primary point person for NFL personnel. . His extensive responsibilities have touched nearly every critical modern program pillar, including:
As college football has seen a shift toward a front-office model, Speros was named assistant general manager in July 2025 and added chief of staff to his duties ahead of last season. This latest promotion to full General Manager solidifies his authority over the daily personnel machine.
"Justin has been involved in every aspect of our player evaluation and acquisition process since we’ve been here and knows our organization inside and out," Elliott said in a statement. "He’s been an integral part of our roster-building process from the beginning. I’m excited to see him grow and develop into this new role."
A native of Great Falls, Virginia, Speros’ relationship with Elliott stretches back nearly a decade. He earned his bachelor's degree from Clemson in 2017, spending his time upstate with the Tigers as an undergraduate assistant working directly under Elliott, who was then the Tigers' offensive coordinator. Speros stayed on at Clemson as a recruiting assistant before going on to take director of scouting roles at Western Carolina and South Florida. He also brings valuable NFL perspective to the table, having completed internships with two NFL franchises in the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars.
In a corresponding move to round out the new front office structure, Virginia announced that Cory Martin will step into the role of assistant general manager and director of player personnel. With the transfer portal and NIL demands requiring constant vigilance, Elliott and the Cavaliers have ensured their personnel department is in trusted hands moving into the 2026 season.
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