Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett is retiring.
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman reported the shocking news on Thursday afternoon, just two weeks before the college basketball season tips off.
“Virginia head coach Tony Bennett is retiring,” Goodman said on X.
BREAKING: Virginia head coach Tony Bennett is retiring, source told @TheFieldOf68.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) October 17, 2024
Bennett, 55, leaves the game after spending the last 26 years coaching basketball. After two seasons coaching the North Harbour Kings, he joined the Wisconsin staff under his legendary fatehr Dick Bennett.
After spending several years as an assistant, he moved on to Washington State, where he spent six seasons in Pullman. He coached the Cougars from 2006 to 2009, having successfully recruited future NBA Hall of Famer Klay Thompson and appearing in the NCAA Tournament.
Bennett then moved on to Virgina, where he enjoyed unbridled success. Bennett earned six ACC regular season championships at Virginia and two ACC Tournament titles. He won two Naismith Coach of the Year awards in 2007 at Wazzu and 2018 at Virginia, and also won the AP Coach of the Year Award too. He also was a three-time recipient of the Henry Iba Award, which the USBWA hands out to the best coach in America.
One year after his Cavaliers infamously lost to a 16-seed, Bennett guided Virginia to the 2019 men’s basketball National Championship. For that, he’s been a legend in Charlottesville forever.
Thus far, no reason for his retirement has been provided. Virginia announced that Bennett will attend a press conference on Friday.
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
