Bennett, who led Virginia to 2019 title, to retire

Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff WriterOct 17, 2024, 04:47 PM ET

Close

• Basketball recruiting insider.
• Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.Virginia males’s basketball coach Tony

Bennett will reveal his immediate retirement Friday, the school announced.Bennett, 55, was set to start his 16th season with the Cavaliers in less than three weeks, with the program’s very first game against Campbell on Nov. 6. Sources told ESPN that Bennett’s decision to retire was not health-related. As

of Thursday night, the school had actually not named an interim replacement. The most likely option is associate head coach Ron Sanchez, who invested 5 seasons as the head coach at Charlotte before going back to Charlottesville ahead of last season. Associate head coach Jason Williford likewise has actually been by Bennett’s side throughout his period at Virginia.Bennett is a two-time national coach of the year who led Virginia to a championship game in 2019. He won six Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season titles and

two ACC competition titles.Totals D-1 Rank PPG 57.4 1st FTA PG 14.6 1st RPG 30.8 Second FG pct 40.2 %8th Since 2009-10– ESPN Research The Cavaliers made 10 NCAA tournament appearances under Bennett however had not won a tournament game since the national title run

and steady values, “Phillips said in a declaration. “He has made an indelible influence on many student-athletes and established them not just in basketball, but also as boys. He is a legend who we will deeply miss out on having on the sidelines in addition to his everyday impact in the league, the sport and college athletics.”Bennett signed a two-year agreement extension in June through the end of

the 2029-30 season.Despite leading the program to unmatched success during his time in Charlottesville, Bennett also bemoaned the instructions of college athletics.During an interview with ESPN at ACC media day last week, he was asked why there was a perception he might be the next Jay Wright and abruptly retire while still in his prime.”I got to call Jay Wright and see what he states, right?” Bennett said.”I constantly have said, when you’re doing this, you’re in this occupation, whether you concur how it’s going or not, you need to be real to yourself and truly look at it and say,

who am I? Can I run how I desire, and can it be successful enough? And you get to pick if you want to be a part of it or not.Editor’s Picks 2 Related “And when you feel it’s time, like Jay did, like Coach K, possibly Saban, it’s their choice. And you can sit here and grumble and gripe. Or you have a choice to make. Either you try to do it in your method or you get to make that decision. So I believe Jay Wright probably visualized where this is going. … It’ll be much better whenever there’s guidelines. Is that 3 to five years away? Who understands? However if it’s not– those are choices that every man has to make when it’s his time.”Before taking control of at Virginia in 2009, Bennett led Washington State to two NCAA competition looks in his 3 seasons as head coach there.

The Cougars had back-to-back 26-win

seasons in 2007 and 2008, reaching the Sugary food 16 in 2008. He had invested the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Washington State after four seasons at Wisconsin coaching under his dad, Dick Bennett, and Bo Ryan.Bennett bet his father at Green Bay, completing his career as the Mid-Continent Conference’s leading career scorer and the NCAA’s leading career 3-point shooter. He was chosen by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1992 NBA draft and invested three seasons with the franchise.