Bennett Bows Out
“I am no longer the best coach to lead this program in this environment.” -Tony Bennett October 18, 2024 Humility is one of Tony Bennett’s five pillars. This morning that precept was on full display as Tony Bennett announced the reasons for his sudden retirement as the Virginia men’s basketball coach. Admitting that he no longer had the right mindset to lead the program , Bennett said, “when you know in your heart that it’s your time, it’s your time.” His time as Virginia’s most successful basketball coach ended this morning. The same issues with NIL and transfer rules that have driven other high profile college coaches into retirement have gotten the best of Tony Bennett. His retirement is a huge blow to Virginia and to college basketball, really. His style of play was not popular, and even Virginia fans have grumbled in recent years that his glacial pace unnecessarily hindered both his recruiting efforts and his team’s on-court success. Those same critics, however,