Virginia's Head Coach Tony Bennett to Reveal Retirement Plans on Friday
The University of Virginia's head coach, Tony Bennett, will declare his retirement during a press conference on Friday morning, as confirmed by the program's social media post on Thursday afternoon.
At the age of 55, Bennett, who led Virginia to a national championship in 2019, is stepping down just three weeks before the start of the upcoming season.
The reason for Bennett's sudden decision has not been revealed, and it remains uncertain who will take over as the Cavaliers' coach in the future.
Prior to his time at Virginia, Bennett spent three years as the head coach at Washington State (2006-2009). In his 18 years as a head coach, he has achieved a record of 433-169 (.719 winning percentage) and has led 12 teams to the NCAA Tournament, including 10 during his tenure at Virginia.
Under Bennett's leadership, the Cavaliers reached the Sweet 16 in 2014 and the Elite Eight in 2016. In 2018, they were the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, but suffered a historic upset to UMBC in the first round. However, they bounced back the following year and won their first national championship.
Last season, Virginia had a record of 23-11 and made it to the NCAA Tournament. They will begin the 2024-25 season on November 6th with a home game against Campbell.
