A health scare didn’t cause Tony Bennett to abruptly retire three weeks before the start of the new season. Nor did his administration force him to step aside.
The longtime Virginia men’s basketball coach simply doesn’t think he’s the best person to lead the Cavaliers anymore.
Tears in his eyes but a smile on his face, Bennett explained to reporters on Friday morning that he’s not equipped to deal with the challenges of college basketball’s modern-day environment. The three-time national coach of the year said he was a better fit for “the old way,” before the transfer portal produced unfettered free agency and the onset of NIL turned recruiting battles into bidding wars.