End of an era at Virginia

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Nothing like some program-changing news on a Thursday! We’ll get into what Tony Bennett’s decision means for Virginia below. (Cavalier fans — the ad might appeal to you on a day like today.)

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1. Tony Bennett’s surprising retirement decision

Five coaches who are either in the Hall of Fame or headed there have now retired since 2021. The latest?

Virginia coach Tony Bennett officially will announce his retirement at a press conference this morning. He’ll get into the why, but it should be known that it’s not health related, per Jeff Goodman.

It’s more about the ever-changing college basketball landscape.

Associate head coach Ron Sanchez is the front-runner to be named the interim head coach, though associate head coach Jason Williford (in his 16th year with the program) also is a possibility.

Just as important is what happens to the players.

By rule, there’s a 30-day window for players to enter the transfer portal. However, with classes underway, players won’t be eligible to play next semester, or late December at the earliest. Double-digit scorer Isaac McKneely and Duke transfer TJ Power likely would have suitors, but a good case can be made that staying put makes the most sense.

Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster discuss more of the details about Bennett’s decision, what’s next for Virginia and more.

Virginia was one of the most intriguing teams in the country this season. Even before Bennett decided to retire, the team seemed set on playing with a faster pace. Whether the interim coach maintains Bennett’s slow-down, defensive-first approach will be a major storyline. And it’s another sizeable move within the ACC, which won’t have an active coach with a national title for the first time in decades.

Also notable? The ACC used to be a conference with established, successful coaches. At the start of this decade, seven of its 15 coaches had coached at their program for at least 10 seasons. Now? It’s just three, per Andrew Weatherman.

Bennett began his head coaching career at Washington State, and was 69-33 in three seasons (including two NCAA tourney appearances and a pair of 26-win seasons, the most in anu single Wazzu season).

He was named the coach at Virginia in 2009 and after four years built arguably the most successful ACC program of the 2010s. He went 364-136 and won nearly 70% of his ACC games. His teams earned 10 trips to the Big Dance (would’ve been 11 had 2020 counted), six regular-season ACC titles, and a national championship in 2019. Considering how strong Duke and UNC remained, the Cavaliers winning six regular-season between 2014-2023, without the 5-star freshmen prospects or elite transfers that the blue bloods were accustomed to, there’s a very good case to make that Coach Bennett was better than either Roy Williams or Coach K during that time.

And very few coaches in the ACC, nationally, or even all-time, can make that kind of claim.

2. Foreshadowing the change in WCC

As always, Gonzaga was the main attraction at West Coast Conference media day. This year had a slightly different vibe. But it won’t even come close to 2025.

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