Tony Bennett is one of the most successful men's college basketball coaches of his generation. Now, he's called it a career and is retired. virginia cavaliers Just a few weeks before the start of the 2024-25 season.
According to the show, Bennett will announce his retirement on Friday.
The son of former college basketball coach Dick Bennett, Tony took over his father's job in college. washington state In 2006, he immediately helped the program make two NCAA Tournament appearances while recruiting Klay Thompson. He took over as Virginia's coach in 2009 and quickly turned his opponent into one of the most frustrating teams in sports, the Cavaliers.
Bennett's teams always played great defense thanks to his puck line scheme, and he quickly became one of the most successful coaches in the country. Under Bennett's leadership, Virginia earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament five times in six years from 2013 to 2019. Virginia reached the Sweet 16 in 2014 and the Elite Eight in 2016, but for a while his tenure was mostly remembered for losses.
In 2018, when UMBC pulled off the biggest upset in sports history, Virginia lost to a No. 16 seed for the first time in men's NCAA Tournament history. The loss could have forever tainted Bennett's career, but it would have a storied ending. The next season, Virginia went on to win the national championship for a long time.
Read my story about how Virginia won the 2019 National Championship. Check out another story about how a preseason rafting trip brought them together after a historic loss.
Bennett is only 55 years old. The reason for his retirement is still unknown. He is the latest legendary coach to hold it up in the face of the NIL and transfer portal era, following the retirements of Jay Wright, Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim.
The timing of this announcement is strange. Bennett just attended ACC Media Day and answered questions about the team. He was specifically asked if he would retire early like Wright did at Villanova. His answer is:
I asked Tony Bennett last week why so many people thought he could be the next Jay Wright and suddenly retired.
His response was verbatim: “You should call Jay Wright and hear what he has to say, right? I've always said, when you're doing this, you is in this situation…
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) October 17, 2024
College basketball has lost one of its best coaches, and Virginia is losing the man who made its program relevant again. A new college basketball landscape is here, and nothing will ever be the same.
