Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett announced his immediate retirement just before the 2024-2025 season kicks off.
The 55-year-old coach, who led the Cavaliers to their first-ever national title in 2019, is set to formally announce that he is retiring on Friday, according to Virginia Men’s Basketball’s official X account. His decision has been announced only months after he agreed to a contract extension to remain with the team through 2030 at minimum, according to The Associated Press. No official reason has been given for his announcement. (RELATED: Watch Tony Bennett’s Postgame Comments After Virginia Wins The National Title)
Over his 15-season career in Charlottesville, Bennett guided the Cavaliers to a 364-136 record, clinching two ACC Tournament titles, six regular-season championships and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. He also earned the title of National Coach of the Year three times during his tenure.
The coach’s defensive-focused pack-line system, a strategy he learned from his father, Dick Bennett, became the backbone of Virginia’s success, earning them a reputation as one of the top defensive teams in college basketball, The New York Times reported. His father had spent 28 seasons as a head coach.
BREAKING: Tony Bennett to announce his immediate retirement in a press conference on Friday at 11 a.m. pic.twitter.com/jw9HYtyYaq
— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) October 17, 2024
However, Bennett’s reign was not without its low points. In 2018, his team made unwanted history as the first No. 1 seed to fall to a No. 16 seed during the NCAA Tournament, with UMBC taking the victory. Bennett turned that embarrassment into motivation, guiding his team to redemption with a national championship win in 2019, defeating Texas Tech in overtime.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
