Virginia Cavaliers Head Coach Tony Bennett Announces Retirement
Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett has announced his immediate retirement, according to the school. Bennett, 55, was preparing to start his 16th season with the Cavaliers in less than three weeks, with the team’s first game scheduled against Campbell on Nov. 6. The decision to retire was confirmed to not be health-related, as per sources from ESPN.
As of Thursday night, an interim replacement had not been named by the school. The most probable option is associate head coach Ron Sanchez, who had a five-season stint as the head coach at Charlotte before returning to Charlottesville. Associate head coach Jason Williford has also been a consistent presence by Bennett’s side during his time at Virginia.
Bennett, a two-time national coach of the year, led Virginia to a national championship in 2019. He also secured six Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season titles and two ACC tournament titles. Despite the Cavaliers making 10 NCAA tournament appearances under Bennett, they had not won a tournament game since their championship victory in 2019. The team was selected fifth in the ACC preseason poll released recently.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips commended Bennett as “a tremendous person” and “one of the most accomplished coaches in the storied history of ACC Basketball.” Phillips praised Bennett’s integrity, class, and unwavering values, highlighting his impact on student-athletes both on and off the court.
Bennett had signed a two-year contract extension in June, running through the end of the 2029-30 season. While he had achieved remarkable success with the program, Bennett had expressed concerns about the state of college athletics. In an interview at ACC media day, he discussed the importance of being true to oneself in the face of changing circumstances and mentioned the possibility of following in the footsteps of other successful coaches like Jay Wright, Coach K, and Saban.
Before taking on the role at Virginia in 2009, Bennett led Washington State to two NCAA tournament appearances during his three-year tenure as head coach. Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach at Washington State and Wisconsin. Bennett’s basketball journey began as a player under his father at Green Bay, where he set records as a leading career scorer in the Mid-Continent Conference and the NCAA’s top career 3-point shooter. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1992 NBA draft and played three seasons with the team.
Bennett’s retirement marks the end of an era for Virginia basketball, leaving a legacy of success and integrity that will be remembered for years to come. The school will now begin the search for a new head coach to carry on the tradition of excellence that Bennett established during his tenure.
