Virginia head coach Tony Bennett suddenly retiring, just weeks before season starts

The Virginia hoops team, little than a period earlier the commencement to its season, volition person to find a caller coach.

The schoolhouse announced Thursday that Tony Bennett volition retire, effectual Friday.

Bennett, 55, joined the Cavaliers up of the 2009-10 season, and helium was .500 successful his archetypal 2 seasons. But helium built Virginia into a assemblage hoops powerhouse.

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Virginia Cavaliers caput manager Tony Bennett aft a triumph against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets astatine McCamish Pavilion.  (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports)

After missing the March Madness tourney successful 3 of his archetypal 4 seasons, the Cavaliers person gone dancing successful 9 of the past 10 tournaments.

Bennett drew scrutiny erstwhile his squad became the archetypal No. 1 effect to ever suffer to a 16th seed, erstwhile UMBC dominated them successful the archetypal circular of the 2018 tournament.

Bennett and his Cavaliers came backmost with a vengeance, though, moving the array to triumph it each the adjacent year.

Virginia Cavaliers caput manager Tony Bennett looks connected from the sideline during the archetypal fractional against the North Carolina State Wolfpack astatine Capital One Arena.  (Amber Searls/USA Today Sports)

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Recent years, though, person not been benignant to Virginia. The Cavaliers person mislaid each of their past 3 games successful the tournament. They were upset arsenic a No. 4 effect successful 2021 and 2023 and failed to get retired of the First Four successful March. In 2022, they were successful the NIT.

Prior to joining Virginia, Bennett coached Washington State for 3 seasons, making the tourney successful 2 of those campaigns.

Virginia caput manager Tony Bennett answers questions from the media astatine The Hilton Charlotte Uptown.  (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)

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If this is so a vocation for Bennett, helium hangs up the clipboard with a 433-169 wide record, including 364-136 with Virginia. In all, Bennett has made the tourney successful 12 of his 18 seasons. There was nary tourney held successful 2020 owed to the pandemic.

The Cavaliers statesman their play Nov. 6.

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