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What Tony Bennett's retirement means for Virginia, college basketball

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In an emotional press conference announcing his retirement on Friday, former Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett didn't mince words on his reasons for retiring from college basketball, just three weeks before the season was set to tip.

"I'm no longer the best coach to lead this program in this current environment," Bennett, 55, said.

In a vacuum, his announcement Thursday wasn't entirely a surprise. Rumors had swirled for years that he might step down earlier than his age and level of success would indicate. The timing, however, was a shock.