In a large growth simply 18 days earlier than the 2024-25 faculty basketball season will get underway, one of many sport’s greatest teaching names is retiring.
Virginia head coach Tony Bennett is hanging it up after spending the previous 15 years because the Cavaliers‘ head coach, in keeping with The Discipline of 68 and confirmed by FOX Sports activities. Virginia’s males’s basketball program confirmed the report on social media, saying Bennett would announce his official retirement in a press convention at 11 a.m. ET on Friday.
The 55-year-old Bennett, who’s most identified for finishing the final word redemption story when his program fell to Sixteenth-seeded UMBC within the 2018 NCAA Match after which climbed the mountaintop and gained the nationwide championship the next 12 months, gained 433 video games in his profession and two Naismith Coach of the Yr awards. With six ACC regular-season titles, two ACC Match crowns and 4 convention coach of the 12 months honors, Bennett constructed a constant nationwide energy in Charlottesville, Virginia, competing with Duke and North Carolina because the regular trio atop the ACC.
Bennett arrived at Virginia again in 2009, and it did not take lengthy for him to make his mark, main the Cavaliers to the 2012 NCAA Match after this system had made simply two appearances within the Massive Dance within the earlier 12 seasons. He has led this system to the NCAA Match in 9 of the previous 10 years, with the lone exception coming in 2022.
As for the place Virginia turns from right here, search for one of many two affiliate head coaches, Ron Sanchez or Jason Williford, to get elevated to the top teaching function this season earlier than this system can run a full search.
Bennett has complained in recent times that faculty basketball’s NIL and the stressors of the job have been much more than when he initially bought into the career. Very similar to we’ve got seen with Jay Wright, Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski and others, Bennett is stepping apart within the midst of the NIL period. It’s unattainable to disregard the sheer variety of departures and the way in which the game’s local weather change has impacted whether or not sure coaches keep in it longer or not.
Regardless, this can be a mammoth information growth simply over two weeks out from the beginning of the season and for a Virginia program that absolutely expects to make the NCAA Match this 12 months.
It is usually value noting that Bennett’s retirement opens a 30-day switch portal window for gamers on the present roster. The Cavaliers are set to tip-off the season on Nov. 6 in opposition to Campbell.
John Fanta is a nationwide faculty basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports activities. He covers the game in a wide range of capacities, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Community to offering commentary on The Discipline of 68 Media Community. Comply with him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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