Tony Bennett retires
- Thread starter blazindw
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DavidBenAkiva
Member
This has got to be a health issue or something, right? Wow. I am shocked. Hope he's ok.
cato
Member
I too hope he is okay. But my hope is that it is just a personal decision made before the season starts, knowing how much time and energy goes into a season and perhaps a conclusion that the cost to him just wasn’t worth it.
DavidBenAkiva
Member
There couldn't have been a worse time to do this. He just got a commitment for the Class of 2025. The players he brought over via the transfer portal must have assumed he would be the coach this season. I can't imagine a worse time to announce this kind of thing.
Also, and this is worth noting, Bennett signed an extension through the 2030 season this past June. The timing makes 0 sense.
Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett agrees to extension through at least 2030
Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett has signed an extension that will keep him with the Cavaliers through at least 2030.
apnews.com
JasonEvans
Host, The Duke Basketball Roundup
I just can’t imagine this was just a normal choice. Too much of a class guy to do that. There must be something serious happening behind the scenes.
ACC losing a really great coach.
ACC losing a really great coach.
I have no idea and hope it isn't related to health, but it can also be a power play move a la Dean Smith to ensure "his guy" gets the job given how close to the season we are. Then again I don't even know if he has a favored guy.
Chicago 1995
Member
Jason Williford has been with Bennett the whole time he's been at UVa. Played there too. He'd seem like the obvious choice, particularly with Ron Sanchez not working out at Charlotte.
brevity
Member
CameronBornAndBred
Well-known member
My first thought is that NIL takes a victim. Of course I have no idea if that's the root, especially given the timing, but I wouldn't want to deal with that mess either as a coach.
Whatever it is, I hope it's not health related.
Whatever it is, I hope it's not health related.
cato
Member
There couldn't have been a worse time to do this. He just got a commitment for the Class of 2025. The players he brought over via the transfer portal must have assumed he would be the coach this season. I can't imagine a worse time to announce this kind of thing.
Also, and this is worth noting, Bennett signed an extension through the 2030 season this past June. The timing makes 0 sense.
Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett agrees to extension through at least 2030
Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett has signed an extension that will keep him with the Cavaliers through at least 2030.
I certainly don’t think it was planned in advance. I just wonder if the precipitating factor was more along the lines of “this is not what I signed up for and I don’t know if I can see this through, so I might as well hit the eject button now.”
I guess I’m just hoping it’s along these lines and I could construct a plausible story.
DavidBenAkiva
Member
I think it would be in extremely poor taste (some might say cavalier?) to abandon ship now if it was about NIL. He is abandoning his team for this upcoming season that expected him to be the coach. If he didn't want to deal with it anymore, do like Coach K and pass off recruitment to an Associate Head Coach or like what Coach Scheyer has done with a General Manager.
SavDukeGrad
Member
Bennett, who led Virginia to 2019 title, to retire
Tony Bennett, 55, posted a 364-136 record at Virginia, guiding the program to a national title in 2019 and two ACC tournament titles.
ESPN article.
Who would have thought he would only coach 2 years after Coach K retired.
evrim
Member
Would it be better if he went through the season with one foot out the door, with his heart not in it anymore?
HereBeforeCoachK
Member
...yeah, hoping it's not a health crisis.....so the "not what I signed up for" and his wanting to move into ministry / charity work (he's mentioned something like that) could be it.
Old School
Member
Wasn't expecting this story today.
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