Virginia head coach Tony Bennett retired on his personal phrases and celebrated the fantastic thing about the sport by standing on the pillars he used to construct a nationwide title contender.
Bennett, in jest jabbing at his most popular well-critiqued methodical fashion of play, mentioned he gained’t miss answering questions on tempo of play however smiled via feelings in sharing he felt he was now not the most effective coach to guide the Cavaliers’ program.
“I’m so grateful,” the 55-year-old Bennett mentioned at a press convention Friday. “I take into consideration these pillars. Humility and keenness. Humility means know who you’re and have sober judgment. Ardour means don’t be lukewarm. Be wholehearted in all you do. I feel these are those that brought about me at the moment to look and have sober judgment about the place we’re at. That’s in all probability the factor that choked me up essentially the most. Once I checked out myself and realized I’m now not the most effective coach to guide this system on this present setting. If you happen to’re going to do it, you’ve bought to be all-in. And in case you aren’t it’s not honest to the college. To those younger males.”
Bennett met with gamers and coaches to share his determination on Thursday.
He mentioned he got here near retiring when the season ended. All through the offseason and dealing day by day with the toll of the comparatively new and exploding enterprise aspect of faculty athletics, from open switch home windows and NIL calls for, Bennett got here to phrases with stepping apart. He mentioned he was nonetheless geared up to do the job “the outdated method” and clarified he has no downside with student-athletes receiving income.
“Please don’t mistake me. However the recreation and faculty athletics is just not in a wholesome spot. It’s not, and there must be change,” Bennett mentioned. “… It’s going to be nearer to knowledgeable mannequin. There must be collective bargaining. There needs to be a restriction on the wage pool that groups can spend. There needs to be switch regulation restrictions. There needs to be some limits on agent involvement with younger guys.
“And I fear so much concerning the psychological well being of student-athletes as all these items comes down.”
Nationwide championship-winning faculty coaches Jay Wright of Villanova and Nick Saban, a seven-time title winner in faculty soccer at Alabama, cited the load of comparable off-field components in their very own retirements.
Bennett signed a long-term contract extension in June after bringing in what he mentioned was an thrilling class of transfers and recruits.
He mentioned he got here to the ultimate determination throughout fall break on a visit along with his spouse, Laurel, to mirror and analyze the previous, current and future. He determined he wanted to stroll away now to offer coaches and gamers time collectively in scrimmages and follow earlier than the common season begins the primary week of November.
He plans to remain related to Virginia and can “be round” if the college would really like him to be there.
“I don’t have a selected factor I’m strolling into,” Bennett mentioned. “My religion within the Lord is every little thing. It’s the hope that I’ve. It’s the peace that provides me perspective.”
Bennett spent three seasons because the coach at Washington State (2006-09) earlier than taking the Virginia job. He mentioned he was motivated again then by competing with “bluebloods” and training towards Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina’s Roy Williams. His lone purpose was “to construct a program that lasts”.
In 18 seasons as a head coach, Bennett has amassed a 433-169 report (.719 successful proportion) and brought 12 groups to the NCAA event, together with 10 in his 15 years at Virginia. He acquired nationwide faculty coach of the 12 months recognition in 2007, 2015 and 2018.
The Cavaliers reached the Candy 16 in 2014 and the Elite Eight in 2016. They have been the No 1 total seed within the 2018 NCAA event and have become the first No 1 seed to lose to a No 16, UMBC, the 12 months earlier than returning to the dance and successful this system’s first nationwide championship in 2019.
“What occurred – I hoped and didn’t know – was past my wildest expectations. To win six regular-season ACC championships, two event championships, to be in Candy 16s and Elite Eight, win the nationwide championship,” Bennett mentioned. “The laborious losses. The laborious losses within the event. It’s all a part of it. I wouldn’t commerce it for something. We did it, we did it in a singular method.“
“I can bear in mind 15 and a half years in the past sitting right here and the way particular that second was. It’s been an emotional couple days. In fascinated with this, what I’d share, a quote from a missionary Jim Elliot involves thoughts: ‘He’s no idiot who provides what he can’t preserve to achieve what he can’t lose.’ I’ve been right here for 15 years as a head coach and I assumed it will be a bit of longer to be trustworthy. Nevertheless it’s not mine to maintain. To present it again to achieve what I can’t lose. To be a greater husband. To be a greater dad. My dad and mom are each 81 years outdated. I don’t wish to dwell with any regrets. Simply to be round them. To be a greater buddy. To be a greater brother, I do know my sister if she’s watching can be saying that to me. It’s mine to offer again. I’ve given every little thing I can.”
