We never truly knew how lucky we were to have Tony Bennett at the helm. In only a few years time, Virginia men’s basketball shifted from an afterthought to a juggernaut. Bennett consistently dominated the ACC,

Tony Bennett’s retirement from coaching was a major loss for the University of Virginia. It was an equally damaging loss for all of college basketball. In an era when it seems as if nothing is certain in the sport, Bennett represented everything good — a class act in every way, and a Hall of Fame coach as a bonus.

Bennett's philosophies didn’t always align with the name, image and likeness and transfer portal era of college athletics.