Tony Bennett Retiring (effective immediately)

[UConnStats]

 

[superjohn]

Hated watching his teams but he seems like a good guy and a gentleman, hope he's okay. It's strange to retire when the season is starting.

 

[david]

Wow. Feels like something forced his hand to retire abruptly right before the season started. Hopefully it’s not health related.

 

[gsmooth]

Yeah, I didn't like the style his teams played, but that 2019 championship team, was very good, even if they did need a ton of luck to win. But this news is very surprising, and I hope nothing really serious about his health is causing this.

 

[Mr. French]

I’m contrarian when it comes to TB, I think he’s one of the best and he’s a genuinely good guy. He’s an incredible defensive coach and obviously didn’t have the horses on O, but when he did they were damn good.

He made WaZou a top 4 seed and had multiple 1 seeds AND a chip with UVA, who hadn’t been thought of in 30 years.

The guy can coach. And he’s a good human, which can’t be taken for granted nowadays.

Edit: saving for old takes exposed if he indeed is involved in a scandal, but I don’t think so.

 

[tuvent08]

Health or scandal, one would think.

 

[Mr. French]

It helps that when I was coaching, we coached pack line D, and not many teach it better.

 

[WrenchFan69]

He seemed like the type be unhappy with, and left behind in, the NIL/portal era, so I'm not shocked at his retirement, though the immediacy and timing of it is concerning. Hope all is okay.

 

[auror]

Wowzers.

 

[Connecticut13]

Something is up. I was just watching an interview a few days ago where he certainly seemed focused on the future. How does this change so quickly?

 

[NJHoops]

 

[MexicoHusky]

i suspect the Virginia administration wants the team to hedge on defense more. And Tony doesn't want to. Or maybe they disagree on Ketchup and Turkey. So he's retiring.... classing hedging, Ketchup, Turkey argument leads to retirement.

 

[SouleMan]

Pulling the old Jim Calhoun, eh?

 

[MexicoHusky]

who is CJ Moore? Sounds like a fake name. I like my theory better.

 

[Mr. French]

He’s old school.

 

[EROCK CONN]

Health or scandal, one would think.

If it's the latter, he will remain heavily focused on defense.

And just like that, the ACC has zero coaches that have won national titles....... man, you just hate to see it..... but more than that, you love to see it.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Tweet above says it, but rumor has been there that Sanchez came back to eventually take over. He coached under Bennett at wash st and uva before he was at Charlotte for a few yrs

Bennett just signed an extension so speculation is health or maybe even just the jay wright approach of saying f it, this NIL era isn't what he signed up for.

Dude is one of the nicest most genuine guys you would ever meet, hope everything is alright with him and his family. So long successful uva revenue sports...it was fun for a while

 

[UCLJ0211]

Pulling the old Jim Calhoun, eh?

Yeah except Calhoun was like 15 years older.

 

[UConnJim]

Wonder how TJ Power is feeling.

 

[HooperScooper]

 

[HooperScooper]

Wonder how TJ Power is feeling.

Like he should have committed to UConn when he had the chance a few years ago.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Wonder how TJ Power is feeling.

The portal will open tomorrow for UVA players

 

[bendm]

first Jay Wright now TB, who's next?

 

[metsfan2323]

Sounds like he can't adapt to the changing landscape. Luckily our coach dominates in the NIL / transfer portal era.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Here's a new interesting fact for recruits : National Championships in the Last 10 Years from current D1 coaches:

Dan Hurley : 2
All Remaining 354 D1 Coaches Combined : 2

 

[gsmooth]

first Jay Wright now TB, who's next?

Whoever it will be, I think it will be coaches who are middle aged or older who have plenty of $ in their bank account from past contracts and feel like they have already accomplished the most they think they ever will or hit their peak in the past.

 

[metsfan2323]

If he waited until now to prevent a mass player exodus, then shame on him.

 

[champs99and04]

The folks who want to shrug this off as something other than a bad sign for the future of college basketball will find a way to do so, but the trend is growing harder to ignore.

Say what you want about Virginia, because I know it hasn't been the most aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball, especially lately. But under Bennett it was one of the few remaining power programs in the sport that sold something other than NIL and NBA dreams. Its style was unique and made college basketball what it is.

 

[Huskyforlife]

We have an open scholarship if someone wants to redshirt…

 

[Vowelguy]

Here's a new interesting fact for recruits : National Championships in the Last 10 Years from current D1 coaches:

Dan Hurley : 2
All Remaining 354 D1 Coaches Combined : 2

Are there current coaches who won >10 years ago?