Tony Bennett (basketball)
Current position | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Title | Head coach | ||||||||||||||||||||
Team | Virginia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Conference | ACC | ||||||||||||||||||||
Record | 364–136 (.728) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Annual salary | $4.15 million[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Biographical details | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Clintonville, Wisconsin, U.S.[2] | June 1, 1969||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | |||||||||||||||||||||
1988–1992 | Green Bay | ||||||||||||||||||||
1992–1995 | Charlotte Hornets | ||||||||||||||||||||
1996–1997 | North Harbour Vikings | ||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |||||||||||||||||||||
1998–1999 | North Harbour Kings | ||||||||||||||||||||
1999–2003 | Wisconsin (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2003–2004 | Washington State (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2004–2006 | Washington State (associate HC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2009 | Washington State | ||||||||||||||||||||
2009–present | Virginia | ||||||||||||||||||||
National | |||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | USA U-19 (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||||||
Overall | 433–169 (.719) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tournaments | 16–11 (NCAA Division I) 4–3 (NIT) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Accomplishments and honors | |||||||||||||||||||||
Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
3× MCC Player of the Year (1991, 1992) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Records | |||||||||||||||||||||
Coach Single-season win records at both Virginia (35) and Washington State (26, twice) Player NCAA record for career three-point field goal percentage (49.7%) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Anthony Guy Bennett (born June 1, 1969) is an American former professional
As a 5'11" point guard, Bennett ranks first in NCAA history for career three-point field goal accuracy at 49.7%, shooting above 50% from range in both his junior and senior seasons.[7][8] He started for the United States national team at the 1991 Pan American Games, was awarded the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the nation's top player under six feet tall, and was named Academic All-American of the Year.[7] Bennett starred for the Green Bay Phoenix under his father, Dick Bennett, who later took Wisconsin to the 2000 Final Four using an earlier version of the packline defense seen today at Virginia.
Bennett played three years in the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets and after an injury, several more professionally in Australia and New Zealand where he started coaching.[9] He has since coached several players at the college level who've gone on to be known for shooting prowess in the NBA, such as Malcolm Brogdon (eighth 50–40–90 shooter in NBA history), Joe Harris (led NBA in three-point accuracy in 2018–19 and in 2020–21) and Klay Thompson (one-half of the Splash Brothers). Both Harris and Thompson have won the Three-Point Contest at the NBA All-Star Game.[10][11]
From his first day at Virginia, he set the goal of building "a program that lasts."[3] Originally inheriting the worst UVA team since 1967, his Cavaliers have had four 30-win seasons, won the NCAA tournament championship with a 35–3 team in 2019, won ACC tournaments in 2014 and in 2018, and have won or shared 6 ACC regular season titles. Known for coaching defensive intensity, Bennett has been ranked the top defensive coach in college basketball by ESPN Insider and a CBS Sports poll of head coaches.[12][13][14] The style of basketball he teaches has often been compared to a boa constrictor choking out opponents,[15][16][17][18] and his teams are known for their unselfish play, defense-first philosophy, and tempo control.[19][20][21]
Biography and playing career
College
Bennett, a
Professional
Bennett went on to be selected in the
Coaching career
Bennett wanted to understand everything about the game of basketball to the point that, even as an NBA player, teammates felt he would rather learn and study the game than participate in it.[28] Bennett's teams, especially at Virginia, are known for their motion offense and stifling defense which features his version of the "pack line" defensive strategy famously devised by his father. The pack line is designed to clog up potential driving lanes to the paint by forcing ball handlers to the middle of the floor where more "help" is concentrated. It forces opposing teams to pass and shoot well, while limiting dribble penetration and post play.[29][30]
Coaching beginnings
In 1998, Bennett continued as head coach of the North Harbour Kings (who had changed their name from Vikings) but retired early as a player. His time there taught him he was able to coach without the anxiety he had seen his father experience coaching back in Wisconsin, and convinced him that he could undertake the stressful life of a coach while maintaining his integrity and peace of mind.[9] After the 1999 season, he returned to the U.S. to become his father's team manager so that they could spend time together.[26] Tony Bennett was then able to get a firsthand experience of Wisconsin's run to the 2000 Final Four as a part of the staff under Dick Bennett.
After his father retired, Bo Ryan retained Bennett on his staff and there he remained until 2003, when Dick Bennett came out of retirement to coach Washington State. After one season as assistant coach, Bennett was designated as his father's successor and promoted to associate head coach.[31]
Washington State
Tony Bennett accepted the position of head coach at Washington State when his father retired in 2006. Washington State's success immediately skyrocketed under the younger Bennett, and his 26 wins in both the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons tied a 66-year-old school record
2006–07: School record 26 wins
Bennett led the
After the 2006–07 season, Bennett was given the prestigious Henry Iba Award by vote of the United States Basketball Writers Association, and was named the AP college basketball Coach of the Year[34] and the Naismith College Coach of the Year. He was also named the Rivals.com Coach of the Year.[35]
2007–08: 26 wins and Indiana offer
They should put up a statue of him at Washington State. To win like he did there in that program, told me right away the kid is a winner.
During the 2007–08 season, Bennett finished with a 26–9 record (11–7 in the Pac-10). He also went on to lead the Cougars to the Sweet Sixteen after beating Winthrop and Notre Dame in the first and second rounds.[37] After losing to North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen, Bennett's team had again reached the school record for wins, with 26.
After the season, Bennett reportedly turned down an offer to become head coach at Indiana, a job which eventually fell to Marquette coach Tom Crean.[38][39] He also discussed the LSU (his wife's alma mater) vacancy at that year's Final Four, a job that eventually went to Stanford coach Trent Johnson.[40] Bennett decided to remain loyal to WSU.
2008–09: Rebuilding and budget constraints
Bennett went back to work at Washington State with a need to replace NBA draft pick Kyle Weaver. He brought in Klay Thompson, a talented four-star recruit out of California (and son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson). Thompson rapidly improved on the offensive side of the court as a freshman, but the team struggled more than in the two previous years on the defensive end and finished 17–16.
Canceled recruiting flights and Final Four trip for staff
Washington State dropped charter flights for Bennett and his staff for use in recruiting to the remotely located school and cancelled a trip for his staff to the 2009 Final Four (held ten years and two days prior to the 2019 Final Four which would be won by a Bennett team) due to ongoing budgetary constraints in the WSU athletics department. As this was happening, Bennett was contacted about the open Virginia job and traveled to Charlottesville to interview. While very impressed with John Paul Jones Arena and the potential advantages of coaching in the ACC, he initially decided to once again remain loyal to WSU. However, when Bennett went to call Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage and decline the offer, Bennett's wife Laurel stepped in and said "put the phone down," as she could sense a great uncertainty in his voice when he said he would pass up UVA.[41]
Bennett then accepted the Virginia offer on March 29 exactly one year, to the day, after turning down the Indiana job.[42]
Virginia
Bennett was named head coach at
Bennett worked from Day 1 to build "a program that lasts" at Virginia.[3] He has found in Charlottesville a fanbase that has really "bought in" on his defense-first mentality and tempo control, and John Paul Jones Arena is regarded as one of the toughest places to play for opposing teams of the ACC.[46][47][48] Thousands of fans lined the streets to JPJ from Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport in 2019 to congratulate the Virginia team and Bennett on winning the program's first NCAA Championship.[49]
2009–10: Five-win improvement
In their first season under Bennett his new team finished the season 15–16 (5–11 in the ACC), an improvement of 5 wins (+50%) versus the prior year under Bennett's predecessor (former and current DePaul coach
2010–11: Personnel losses but continued rise
Despite every disadvantage, including one star player (Landesberg) leaving because of academic struggles and another (Mike Scott) going down with an early-season injury and taking a medical redshirt, the Cavaliers started the season with a bang by knocking off No. 13 Minnesota on the road, in Minneapolis, during the 2010 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. UVA improved to 7–9 in the ACC and had a winning record overall. They were passed over for postseason consideration.
2011–12: Most wins at UVA in 17 years
This season began much like the last had, with unranked Virginia dismantling No. 15 Michigan in the 2011 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. In just Bennett's third year at Virginia, he led the Cavaliers to 22 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth. It was the most wins the program had tallied in 17 years and its first NCAA Tournament game (a lopsided loss to Billy Donovan and Florida) in five years. After rapid development under Bennett over the past three years (of which he played only two because of injury), Mike Scott was taken 43rd overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2012 NBA draft.
2012–13: Establishing the dominant nucleus
Based on his early successes,
2013–14: #1 ACC finish and ACC Championship
In 2013–14, Perrantes started as a freshman and joined the top players from the previous season as the Cavaliers won their sixth ACC regular season title, clinching it with a statement 75–56 home win against highly touted ACC newcomer No. 4 Syracuse, a team which had started the season 25–0. It was also their first outright regular season title since 1981. Virginia also won its second-ever ACC Tournament title (their first since 1976), defeating second-seeded No. 7 Duke in the final game, 72–63. The Cavaliers received their third (but first since 1983) No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1995. Bennett was a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year,[54] as well as runner-up for AP Coach of the Year.[55] Bennett signed a new seven-year contract to extend his employment with Virginia through 2021. It included a $1.924 million base salary package, with additional longevity and achievement bonuses.[56] Part of his contract negotiations included long-term contract renewals for his staff.[57]
A guy who just oozes class, great guy, knows how to recruit his kids, develop his type of kids, coach his kids, just an unbelievable job he's doing in Charlottesville.
2014–15: #1 ACC finish and 2nd Henry Iba Award
Virginia got off to a 19–0 start, reaching an AP No. 2 ranking for the first time since 1983. Much was made in the press that of the top three teams, each dominating the competition and remaining undefeated well into January (Kentucky, Virginia, and Duke) the Cavaliers were doing so with no McDonald's All-Americans on the roster, whereas the Wildcats and Blue Devils had teams filled with nine each.[59][60] Highlights included holding Georgia Tech, Rutgers, and Harvard to under thirty points each and actually "doubling up" the scores of Georgia Tech (57–28) and Wake Forest (70–34) – unprecedented dominance for any team of the past 50 years against ACC competition.[61] The Harvard game was notable for a near-tripling score, 76–27 and limiting the Crimson, an NCAA Tournament team, to one field goal in the first half which tied the NCAA record for the shot clock era.[62] Two injuries to Justin Anderson near the end of the season dampened NCAA Tournament hopes before he turned pro for the 2015 NBA draft. Bennett was awarded his second Henry Iba Award as the nation's top coach, joining ACC peer Roy Williams as the only coaches ever to win the award at two different schools. Bennett signed a new contract through 2024, later extended through 2026 and beyond.[63][64]
2015–16: NCAA Elite Eight
UVA started the season with impressive wins against eventual national champions Villanova, West Virginia, and California.[65] The number of home-and-away series with programs from other power conferences such as these was virtually unprecedented in the ACC.[65] Bennett was recognized for having one of the most elite offenses in the nation as well as one of the best defenses once more,[66][67] and ESPN writer Jeff Goodman chose Bennett as the ideal head coach of his mythical "Dream Team" before the season... stating "I'm going with Bennett, who ... has owned the ACC the past two seasons. Just imagine what he could do with this group of players and this level of talent. Bennett will make sure these guys defend (yes, even you Niang!) and he also has the ideal, even-keeled temperament."[68] UVA later defeated Iowa State in Niang's final collegiate game in the Sweet Sixteen, before Bennett's first loss (starting 3–0) to Jim Boeheim's Syracuse in the Elite Eight.
2016–17: 250 career wins
UVA brought in a well-rounded recruiting class which included Bennett's first
2017–18: Unranked to AP #1 and ACC Championship
Tony Bennett has 65 ACC wins [in the past 41⁄2 years]. That's eight more than Roy Williams and nine more than Mike Krzyzewski. Bennett is this league's landlord.
–Matt Norlander, CBS Sports, 1/2018[72]
UVA was viewed as a rebuilding team after departures of
2018–19: The Redemption National Championship
- Also see 2019: Redemption National Championship section of Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball.
After a decade of proving himself as one of the very best coaches in all of college basketball, Tony Bennett shook the monkey off of his back for good as he led Virginia to the greatest redemption story in the history of sports.
–Rob Dauster, NBC Sports, 8/2019[86]
UVA opened the season with consecutive wins over ranked
2019–20: COVID-shortened season, 11–1 down final stretch
He's one of the best coaches in the country but not everyone is fit to be part of his program. He's got those five pillars... the ones that [are fit for it] become better players, better people, better men when they leave, and they win a ton of games.
–Dalen Cuff, ACC Network, 2/2021[106]
2020–21: ACC title and COVID troubles
Virginia opened as an early favorite to win another NCAA title two years out.
2021–22: Delivering a "Punch in the Mouth"
The Arizona Daily Star called Bennett the "gold standard of college basketball coaching" and the modern equivalent of Arizona's late Hall of Famer Lute Olson, but said Arizona fans needed to "lower [their] expectations"; Tommy Lloyd, coach-in-waiting at Gonzaga, took the job.[117] Bennett signed transfers Armaan Franklin from Indiana and Jayden Gardner from East Carolina, after losing eight players to graduation, the NBA, and the transfer portal. The Cavaliers got off to their roughest start in a decade, losing 66–58 to Navy, 52–49 to James Madison, and 75–74 to Iowa in the ACC–Big Ten Challenge, dropping Bennett's Challenge record to 8–4. A 67–50 loss at JPJ to Clemson snapped an 11-game winning streak against the Tigers.[118] Virginia returned the favor with a 10-point victory at Clemson, continuing a 6-game winning streak for UVA at Littlejohn Coliseum.[119] A 74–58 road loss to North Carolina snapped a 7-game winning streak against the Tar Heels.[120] Regaining composure, Bennett's Cavaliers held Paolo Banchero to single-digit scoring for the first time of his career as the team emerged from Cameron Indoor Stadium with a 69–68 win over AP No. 7 Duke in Mike Krzyzewski's final home game against Virginia, delivered by Reece Beekman's last-second three-pointer; Trevor Keels remarked that UVA had "punched [them] in the mouth."[121] The Cavaliers finished 12–8 in-conference, good enough for an 11th straight winning ACC season, but the 12 regular season losses were the most yielded by UVA during that span.
2022–23: 6th ACC season title
Virginia opened the season by winning the
2023–24: Unusual Inconsistency
UVA was more inconsistent this year than in recent memory, but still finished 23–11 with a 13th straight winning (13–7) record in the ACC and a 12–1 record in games decided by less than 10 points. The team also lost ten games by double digits including blowout losses of 20 or more points to Wisconsin, at Memphis, at Notre Dame, at Virginia Tech, at Duke, and in the NCAA First Four to Colorado State. In particular, extreme shooting woes from several starters allowed defenses to focus entirely on locking down true threats like Reece Beekman and Isaac McKneely.[123] Player development remained strong, as McKneely took several key steps toward becoming a more complete all-around player in addition to being an excellent catch-and-shoot sharpshooter.[123]
Player development
Under head coach Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers have built a program that seems to feed on itself [...] They have forged a culture that perpetuates success, regardless of the individuals on the floor, like college basketball's version of the San Antonio Spurs.
–The Ringer, 3/2018[19]
Only the fourth former NBA player to win the NCAA Championship, Bennett has developed many of his players into NCAA All-Americans and NBA draft picks. Part of Bennett's philosophy is that it's a gift to be able to play (or coach) basketball at a high level and "to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."[124] To convey that to his players in the off-season, he's asked, "if you played [last year's version of] yourself one-on-one, could you dominate yourself now? If you can't say yes, then you have not done your job improving."[124]
An opposing coach discussed Bennett's reputation for player development to CBS Sports in 2016, stating that he "gets the bigger picture that it's more than just basketball, and his players develop at a high level and become pros."[125] Bennett's methods of recruiting and development have been compared to the San Antonio Spurs (because of that NBA franchise's commitment to unselfishness and team success under Coach Popovich).[19]
NBA
Eleven of Bennett's players at Virginia and Washington State have been drafted into the NBA. Three of them have become widely known for their shooting prowess. Joe Harris is one of the NBA's All-Time Top 5 shooters in three-point field goal shooting percentage,[128] led the league in 2018–19 and 2020–21, and won the Three-Point Contest over Stephen Curry at the 2019 NBA All-Star Game.[129] Malcolm Brogdon is a member of the NBA's exclusive 50–40–90 club for extreme shooters, and Klay Thompson is, with Curry, one of the Splash Brothers of the four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
Both of Bennett's players who won NABC Defensive Player of the Year (Brogdon and De'Andre Hunter) later became NBA starters.
Year | Round | Pick | Player | Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 1 | 17 | Trey Murphy III | New Orleans Pelicans |
2019 | 1 | 4 | De'Andre Hunter | Atlanta Hawks |
2019 | 1 | 24 | Ty Jerome | Phoenix Suns |
2019 | 2 | 55 | Kyle Guy | Sacramento Kings |
2019 | 2 | 54 | Marial Shayok⭒ | Philadelphia 76ers |
2018 | 2 | 53 | Devon Hall | Oklahoma City Thunder |
2016 | 2 | 36 | Malcolm Brogdon | Milwaukee Bucks |
2015 | 1 | 21 | Justin Anderson | Dallas Mavericks |
2014 | 2 | 33 | Joe Harris | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2012 | 2 | 43 | Mike Scott | Atlanta Hawks |
2011 | 1 | 11 | Klay Thompson⭒ | Golden State Warriors |
2008 | 2 | 38 | Kyle Weaver | Charlotte Bobcats
|
⭒ Shayok developed three years under Bennett and then two more under Steve Prohm; Thompson developed one season under Bennett and then two more under Ken Bone.
Undrafted Bennett players to see significant NBA minutes include Mamadi Diakite (Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers), Anthony Gill (Washington Wizards), Sam Hauser (Boston Celtics), Braxton Key (Detroit Pistons), and Aron Baynes (5 teams).
Professional
Other Bennett players to play in professional basketball leagues around the globe include London Perrantes, Mike Tobey, Jack Salt, Akil Mitchell, Darion Atkins, Marcus Capers, Mustapha Farrakhan Jr., Sylven Landesberg, Laurynas Mikalauskas, Jerome Meyinsse, Austin Nichols, Taylor Rochestie, and Sammy Zeglinski.
College
Six Virginia Cavaliers have developed under Bennett into winning NCAA All-America honors and/or national awards.
NABC Defensive Player of the Year
- Malcolm Brogdon, 2016
- De'Andre Hunter, 2019
- Darion Atkins, 2015
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Kyle Guy, 2019
First Team All-American
- Malcolm Brogdon, 2016
Second Team All-American
- Malcolm Brogdon, 2015
- De'Andre Hunter, 2019[c]
Third Team All-American
- Mike Scott, 2012
- Justin Anderson, 2015
- Kyle Guy, 2018, 2019
Off-court
The Bennett family has pledged $500,000 to fund a career development program specifically for current and former members of the Virginia basketball program who are beginning or advancing careers away from basketball.[130]
Personal life
Bennett is married and has two children, one son and one daughter. Bennett met his wife Laurel (née Purcell) at a church in nearby North Carolina, while he was playing for the Charlotte Hornets.[131] He is a Christian and would likely have become a pastor if not a college basketball coach.[132] He has spoken about his faith saying, "When you have a relationship with the Lord, there's a peace and perspective you have. The world didn't give it, and the world can't take it away."[133] Bennett has also cited his faith as impacting his coaching philosophy, in particular his use of his father's "Five Pillars": humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness.[131]
The best known member of a talented coaching family tree, he is the son of former head coach Dick Bennett (Washington State, Wisconsin, Green Bay, and Wisconsin–Stevens Point) and brother of former head coach Kathi Bennett (Northern Illinois and Indiana). The frustrating "pack line" defense that the younger Bennett has perfected at Virginia was first implemented in an earlier form by the elder Bennett up until Tony took over head coaching duties from his father at Washington State.[29]
Career playing statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NCAA
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988–89 | Green Bay | 27 | 27 | 34.4 | .522 | .439 | .847 | 2.0 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 0 | 19.1 |
1989–90 | Green Bay | 30 | 29 | 36.0 | .504 | .482 | .859 | 2.2 | 5.2 | 1.3 | .1 | 16.6 |
1990–91 | Green Bay | 31 | 30 | 36.1 | .547 | .533 | .836 | 2.4 | 5.0 | 1.2 | .1 | 21.5 |
1991–92 | Green Bay | 30 | 28 | 33.2 | .534 | .511 | .826 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 1.2 | .2 | 20.2 |
Career | 118 | 114 | 34.9 | .528 | .497^ | .840 | 2.4 | 5.1 | 1.4 | .1 | 19.4 |
^ NCAA Record
NBA
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992–93 | Charlotte | 75 | 2 | 11.4 | .423 | .325 | .732 | .8 | 1.8 | .4 | 0 | 3.7 |
1993–94 | Charlotte | 74 | 5 | 13.3 | .399 | .360 | .733 | 1.2 | 2.2 | .5 | 0 | 3.4 |
1994–95 | Charlotte | 3 | 0 | 15.3 | .462 | .222 | – | .7 | 1.3 | .0 | 0 | 4.7 |
Career | 152 | 7 | 12.4 | .412 | .335 | .732 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .5 | 0 | 3.5 |
NBA Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993
|
Charlotte | 8 | 0 | 10.8 | .480 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.1 | 1.6 | .3 | .1 | 3.8 |
Head coaching record
HUMILITY: Know Who We Are
PASSION: Do Not Be Lukewarm
UNITY: Do Not Divide Our House
SERVANTHOOD: Make Teammates Better
THANKFULNESS: Learn From Each Circumstance
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington State Cougars[136] (Pacific-10 Conference) (2006–2009) | |||||||||
2006–07 | Washington State | 26–8 | 13–5 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
2007–08 | Washington State | 26–9 | 11–7 | 3rd | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
2008–09 | Washington State | 17–16 | 8–10 | 7th | NIT first round | ||||
Washington State: | 69–33 (.676) | 32–22 (.593) | |||||||
Virginia Cavaliers[137] (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2009–present) | |||||||||
2009–10 | Virginia | 15–16 | 5–11 | T–9th | |||||
2010–11 | Virginia | 16–15 | 7–9 | T–7th | |||||
2011–12 | Virginia | 22–10 | 9–7 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2012–13 | Virginia | 23–12 | 11–7 | T–4th | NIT quarterfinal | ||||
2013–14 | Virginia | 30–7 | 16–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
2014–15 | Virginia | 30–4 | 16–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
2015–16 | Virginia | 29–8 | 13–5 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
2016–17 | Virginia | 23–11 | 11–7 | T–5th | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
2017–18 | Virginia | 31–3 | 17–1 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2018–19 | Virginia | 35–3 | 16–2 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Champion | ||||
2019–20 | Virginia | 23–7 | 15–5 | T–2nd | No postseason held (COVID-19) | ||||
2020–21 | Virginia | 18–7 | 13–4 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2021–22 | Virginia | 21–14 | 12–8 | 6th | NIT quarterfinal | ||||
2022–23 | Virginia | 25–8 | 15–5 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
2023–24 | Virginia | 23–11 | 13–7 | 3rd | NCAA Division I First Four | ||||
Virginia: | 364–136 (.728) | 189–82 (.697) | |||||||
Total: | 433–169 (.719) | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
ACC Rival | Wins | Losses | Win % |
---|---|---|---|
Louisville | 19 | 2 | .905 |
Virginia Tech | 19 | 10 | .655 |
North Carolina | 14 | 10 | .583 |
Maryland [d] | 8 | 4 | .667 |
Against rivals
Bennett has a winning record against each of the team's ACC rivals and has drawn praise from rival coaches. Hall of Famer Rick Pitino (1–5 against Bennett) of Louisville said, "there is no such thing as post-play against Virginia"; similarly former Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams (3–8 against Bennett) called Virginia's system "offensively and defensively elite."[30][138]
Bennett is 60–26 in UVA's
Notes
- Roy Williams had nine consecutive winning conference seasons before slumping to a last place 6–14 ACC record in 2019–20.
- ^ The first conference to have three No. 1 seeds in a single year was the Big East Conference in 2009, achieved in part by Pittsburgh and Louisville, which have since left the Big East and joined the ACC.
- Sporting Newsnamed Hunter to the third team.
- ^ Maryland is no longer in the ACC after the 2013–14 season. The head-to-head (but not overall) record total here includes ACC–Big Ten Challenge games after that year for the former ACC rivals.
References
- ^ USA Today: NCAA Salaries, accessed April 2, 2019
- ^ "Game 14 vs. NC State, Charlottesville, Va. (John Paul Jones Arena)" (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ a b c Norm Wood. "Bennett begins task after day of praise". The Daily Press, April 2, 2009. Accessed April 11, 2019
- ^ a b David Teel. "Teel: Victory over UNC elevates UVA's Bennett into rare company". Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 13, 2021. Accessed February 14, 2021.
- ^ Megan Plain. "No. 9 Virginia men's hoops faces No. 17 Florida State". WTKR Channel 3, February 15, 2021. Accessed February 16, 2021.
- ^ Barry Jacobs. "He’s The GOAT To Everyone - Except ACC Sportswriters". SB Nation, September 13, 2021. Accessed November 25, 2021.
- ^ a b The Summit League. "The Summit League Record Book". Accessed February 5, 2015
- ^ (PDF). Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ Yahoo Sports, March 5, 2014. Accessed February 8, 2015
- ^ Tom Dowd. "JOE HARRIS: 3-POINT CONTEST CHAMPION". National Basketball Association, February 17, 2019. Accessed August 26, 2021.
- ^ Michael Mulford. "Warriors All-Star Rewind: Klay Thompson wins 2016 3-point contest". USA Today, March 6, 2021. Accessed August 26, 2021.
- ^ John Gasaway. "The Coaches Most Defined by Defensive Excellence: Tony Bennett Wins... in a Walk". ESPN Insider, September 20, 2018. Accessed October 14, 2018.
- ^ Sam Vecenie. "Candid Coaches: Who is the best defensive coach in college basketball?". CBS Sports, August 24, 2015. Accessed August 24, 2015. Archived article accessed March 30, 2019.
- ^ Tomer Langer. "Jim Boeheim Calls UVA Head Coach Tony Bennett Best Defensive Coach in Country...". The Daily Orange, January 8, 2018. Accessed March 30, 2019.
- ^ Shane Ryan. "Is Virginia the Least-Respected Great Team in College Hoops History?". Grantland, March 26, 2014. Accessed January 28, 2018.
- ^ Jay Bilas. "Jay Bilas: The Best Things I've Seen So Far: Volume 2". ESPN, January 24, 2018. Accessed January 28, 2018.
- ^ Norm Wood. "U.Va. still seeking secondary scoring options to pair with Perrantes". The Daily Press, January 19, 2017. Accessed January 28, 2018.
- ^ Scott Phillips. "National Title Game Likely to be Defensive Struggle Between Virginia and Texas Tech". NBC Sports, April 7, 2019. Accessed April 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c Jordan Ritter Conn. "How Tony Bennett Turned Virginia Into College Basketball's Spurs". The Ringer, March 1, 2018. Accessed March 2, 2018.
- ^ David Teel. "Virginia Need Not Apologize for Pace, Defensive Excellence". The Daily Press, February 18, 2015. Accessed December 5, 2017.
- ^ Jamie Oakes. "Isaiah Wilkins Takes Hilarious Jab at Former UVA Teammate London Perrantes". 247 Sports, December 4, 2017. Accessed December 5, 2017.
- ^ a b "Tony Bennett player statistics". Sports-Reference.com. Accessed April 8, 2019
- ^ Grant Chapman. "Kiwi Jack Salt Takes Alternative Route to Basketball Stardom". Newshub, March 4, 2019. Accessed October 18, 2020
- Sydney Morning Herald. January 10, 2002. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ a b Joshua Cooley. "Tony Bennett: Sharing the Victory". Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 2007. Accessed September 29, 2020
- ^ a b Crouse, Karen (February 7, 2008). "Turnabout for Bennett and Cougars". Retrieved February 6, 2018 – via The New York Times.
- ^ "2015 Bartercard NBL Handbook" (PDF). Basketball.org.nz. pp. 28–34. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
- ^ Tony Bennett: NBA Career is Forgotten Except By Those Who Saw a Future Coach, accessed January 28, 2017
- ^ a b Koremenos, Brett. Pack-Line Progeny. Grantland, January 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Rick Pitino Raves About Virginia, accessed January 23, 2017
- ^ "Family Afffair: Bennett to hand job to son". ESPN.com. September 24, 2005. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ "Notre Dame vs. Washington State – Game Recap – March 22, 2008 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ "Washington State Cougars Basketball 2006–07 Schedule – Cougars Home and Away – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ "Washington State's Bennett second rookie AP Coach of the Year – NCAA Division I Mens Basketball – CBSSports.com News, Scores, Stats, Schedule and RPI Rankings". Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ Rivals.com College Basketball – Rivals.com Coach of the Year: Tony Bennett
- ^ Vitale thinks Bennett is a perfect fit at UVa, accessed March 8, 2016
- ^ "Washington State Cougars Basketball 2007–08 Schedule – Cougars Home and Away – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ Bennett Turns down IU Job, accessed January 27, 2017
- ^ IU Offers Coaching Job to Bennett, accessed January 27, 2017
- ^ LSU talks to WSU Coach Tony Bennett at Final Four, accessed January 27, 2017
- ^ Humility, faith at core of Tony Bennett the man and coach, accessed February 5, 2018
- ^ Bennett Virginia's New Men's Coach, accessed January 27, 2017
- ^ "Wazzu's Bennett to be named Virginia coach". ESPN.com. March 30, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ McKay's departure stuns LU | The News & Advance Archived September 11, 2012, at archive.today
- ^ Cavs' in league of their own in ACC, accessed August 15, 2019
- ^ Pitino, players talk Virginian loss, accessed February 5, 2018
- ^ Louisville Coach Rick Pitino Talks Dean Smith, UVA, Pitt, accessed February 5, 2018
- ^ JPJ Arena Has Become Cavaliers' Fortress, accessed February 5, 2018
- ^ a b Huge crowd welcomes home national hoops champion Cavaliers, story on April 10, 2019; archived from the original on August 15, 2019
- ^ Virginia Cavaliers Schedule – 2009–10, accessed November 10, 2012
- ^ SPSID=88843&SPID=10616&DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=204902390 Archived November 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sylven Landesberg Not Returning To Virginia". VirginiaSports.com. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
- ^ Ranking the ACC's Basketball Coaches, accessed February 6, 2018
- ^ Coleman, Scott (March 20, 2014). "Naismith Coach of the Year finalists announced". SB Nation. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
- WVIR. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
- ^ "Tony Bennett Receives New 7-Year Contract". VirginiaSports.com. June 3, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ Goldberg, Rob (June 3, 2014). "Tony Bennett Signs 7-Year Contract with Virginia Cavaliers". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ Seth Davis says U-Va.'s Tony Bennett is the new Brad Stevens, accessed January 8, 2016
- ^ Parrish, Gary (December 30, 2014). "Virginia's Bennett has Built a Contender in an Unconventional Way". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ Bozich, Rick (January 27, 2015). "Five Reasons #2 Virginia is not #1 Kentucky". WDRB. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ Chase, Chris (March 3, 2015). "Why UVA basketball is so impressive (and NOT boring)". Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ Reid, Whitey (December 22, 2014). "No. 6 Virginia hammers Harvard in historic fashion". The Daily Progress. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ^ Doughty, Doug (July 7, 2015). "New contract loaded with incentives for UVa basketball coach Tony Bennett to stick around". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Virginia's Bennett Rejects Raise in New Deal, ESPN, accessed September 16, 2019
- ^ a b Virginia Cavaliers May Be Better Than Ever, accessed December 25, 2015
- ^ Cal Men Face Stiff Challenge in No. 5 Virginia, accessed December 25, 2015
- ^ How Defensive Powerhouse Virginia Built the Nation's Best Offense, accessed December 25, 2015
- ^ Building college basketball's Dream Team 2015–16, accessed September 9, 2015
- ^ "No. 8 UVa boots top transfer Nichols from team". Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ Virginia Top 25 Poll Streaks, accessed January 24, 2017
- ^ Virginia Dismantles No. 14 Notre Dame on the Road, accessed January 27, 2017
- ^ Virginia's win at Duke shows Cavaliers are at top of ACC, not just in current standings, accessed January 28, 2018
- ^ ACC Operation Basketball: Here's What We Think Will Happen in 2017–18, accessed February 6, 2018
- ^ Virginia Basketball Returns to AP Top 25, accessed November 29, 2017
- ^ There's only one way to describe UNC's loss to Virginia: '... a big ol' butt-kicking', accessed January 6, 2018
- ^ Eating Some Wahoowa Flavored Crow, accessed February 6, 2018
- ^ Ahead of Duke, UNC's Berry turns to Virginia film to fix defense, accessed February 5, 2018
- ^ AP Poll of February 12, 2018 – Virginia #1, accessed February 12, 2018
- ^ No. 1 Virginia dominates Pittsburgh to wrap up ACC regular-season title, accessed February 25, 2018
- ^ Virginia's De'Andre Hunter to miss NCAA tournament because of broken wrist, accessed March 14, 2018
- ^ Powers, Ian (March 13, 2018). "De'Andre Hunter, Virginia sixth man, out of NCAA Tournament with broken wrist". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- ^ Leonard Hamilton: Upsets Almost Like a Revolution, accessed March 19, 2018
- ^ 16-seed UMBC stuns Virginia in historic upset, retrieved March 16, 2018
- ^ Justin Bariso. "Virginia Coach Tony Bennett's Postgame Interview Is a Powerful Lesson in Leadership". Inc., March 19, 2018. Accessed March 19, 2018
- ^ UVA's Bennett named National Coach of the Year for Third Time, accessed March 19, 2018
- ^ a b Who will be the next head coach to win their first national title?, accessed August 8, 2019
- ^ Hunter, Jerome lead No. 4 Virginia in rout of Hokies, 81–59, accessed March 30, 2019
- ^ a b RJ Barrett leads No. 1 Duke past No. 4 Virginia 72–70, accessed January 19, 2019
- ^ Duke-UVA Trails Only UVA-Duke as Top Game of Season, accessed April 9, 2019
- ^ Virginia basketball clinches ACC title share, but honoring Jack Salt was 'more important', accessed March 11, 2019
- ^ Zion – and Duke – gets top billing in NCAA Tournament, accessed March 25, 2019
- ^ Virginia Outlasts Purdue, Carsen Edwards in OT to Win Craziest Game of 2019 NCAA Tournament, accessed April 9, 2019
- ^ Making the case for Virginia to win the national title at the Final Four, accessed April 9, 2019
- ^ From Southern California to Final Four, Virginia's Kihei Clark stands tall, accessed April 9, 2019
- ^ Mamadi Diakite the toast of Virginia and beyond after big shot against Purdue, accessed April 9, 2019
- ^ Official gets last-second call right, and Virginia gets Final Four win over Auburn, accessed April 9, 2019
- ^ Virginia's Tony Bennett reveals advice he got from Clemson's Dabo Swinney, accessed April 10, 2019
- ^ De'Andre Hunter out-plays Jarrett Culver in showdown of future NBA lottery picks, accessed April 9, 2019
- ^ Virginia's redemption was one year, 23 days in the making, accessed March 10, 2019
- ^ Virginia's Jerome Joins Hunter As a 1st Round Draft Pick, accessed July 11, 2019
- ^ Fortune Editors. "FORTUNE: World's 50 Greatest Leaders – Tony Bennett", archived from the original on September 16, 2019.
- ^ O'Neil, Dana. "Tony Bennett: Humility and grace made him a most deserving..." The Athletic. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ Ranking Evrey College Basketball Team from No. 1 to 353 for 2019–20
- ^ 538: Virginia Cavaliers Back to Their Old Ways and It's Working, accessed March 12, 2019.
- ^ Is This Tony Bennett's Masterpiece?, accessed March 12, 2019
- Eastern Time.
- ^ Virginia Men's Basketball Team The Early Favorite To Win National Championship, accessed March 14, 2020
- ^ Virginia vs. San Francisco, ESPN, accessed January 4, 2021
- ^ Virginia vs. Gonzaga, ESPN, accessed January 4, 2021
- Daily Progress, accessed January 4, 2021
- ^ Virginia vs. Clemson, accessed January 16, 2021
- ^ Huff, Hauser lead No. 9 Virginia past UNC, 60-48, ESPN. Published February 13, 2021. Accessed February 14, 2021.
- ^ Chris Bumbaca. "Virginia men's basketball out of ACC tournament after COVID-19 positive; Georgia Tech to final". USA Today, March 12, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Ralph D. Russo. "Stuck in quarantine, Virginia has spot in tournament waiting". Associated Press, March 15, 2021. Accessed March 15, 2021.
- Yahoo Sports, March 20, 2021. Accessed March 21, 2021.
- ^ AP. "Virginia loses 62-58 to Preston, Ohio, ending title defense". ESPN, March 20, 2021. Accessed March 20, 2021.
- ^ Greg Hansen. "Greg Hansen: Hiring Tommy Lloyd is a gamble, but Wildcats appear poised to take their chances". Arizona Daily Star, April 10, 2021. Accessed April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Clemson snaps 11-game losing skid against Virginia, 67-50". USA Today, December 22, 2021. Accessed December 27, 2021.
- ^ "Gardner leads Virginia's late rally to beat Clemson 75-65". ESPN, January 4, 2022. Accessed January 6, 2022.
- The Herald-Sun, January 8, 2022. Accessed January 12, 2022.
- ^ David Hale. "Duke Blue Devils men's basketball 'punched in the mouth' by Virginia Cavaliers on heels of emotional UNC win". ABC News, February 7, 2022. Accessed February 8, 2022.
- ^ AP. "Vander Plas leads No. 13 Virginia past UNC; Bacot injured". CBS Sports, January 11, 2023. Accessed March 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Mike Barber. "What can Virginia basketball do with its roster this offseason?". Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 8, 2024. Accessed April 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Q&A with Virginia's Tony Bennett on Recruiting Transfer Rules and Title Impact, accessed July 26, 2019
- ^ Candid Coaches: Which College Coach Would You Want Coaching Your Own Son?, accessed January 26, 2017
- ^ "The vanguards: Rating Nash amongst the best". canada.com. January 3, 2007. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ^ danecarbaugh (June 27, 2017). "Malcolm Brogdon wins 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year Award (VIDEO)". ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
- ^ "NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for 3-Pt Field Goal Pct". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Nets to re-sign Joe Harris, their Top Priority this Offseason, accessed November 21, 2020
- ^ Tony Bennett Declined a Raise and Then Pledged $500K to a Career Program; UVAToday; published September 15, 2019; accessed February 5, 2021
- ^ a b Teel, David (March 20, 2015). "Humility, faith at core of Tony Bennett the man and coach". Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ Tony Bennett and Virginia Hoops Aren't for Everyone, but It's Okay to Be Different, accessed March 8, 2018
- ^ "Coach's Profile: Tony Bennett".
- ^ Tony Bennett College Stats. https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/tony-bennett-1.html. Accessed November 17, 2023.
- Basketball Reference. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
- ^ "2011–12 Washington State Cougars men's basketball media guide, page 60" (PDF). Washington State Athletics. 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ "2012–13 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball media guide, page 43" (PDF). Virginia Athletics. 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ Tech's Allen Seeks Moment of Glory against UVA, accessed January 7, 2016
- ^ a b Jerry Ratcliffe. "Virginia vs. Carolina: It’s not basketball, it’s WAR, or at least it used to be". Published February 13, 2021. Accessed August 9, 2021.
External links
- Virginia profile
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com