UVA Tony Bennett to announce his immediate retirement in a press conference on Friday at 11 a.m.

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I assume a staff member read the article about this to Mark Coyle while he sat on the beanbag chair in his office playing Tetris on his Gameboy and when they got to the part about Bennett saying he no longer was the best person for the job, Coyle said, "Wait. You can choose the best person for the job? Had no idea."
 

Bayfield Gopher said:
If it’s not health related or he just wants out, good for him. I assume he is set financially.

My older brother retired from the USPO at the ripe age of 54 with full retirement Bennie’s. He’s now 88 and has had 34 years to enjoy retirement. I was always envious of him yet very happy for him. Wish the same for Bennett
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My cousin just did that as well from the USPO, full retirement plus a 5 year run in the USMC. He's only 59, but a lot of time to enjoy retirement.
 


Assuming this is not health related, count me in the group that thinks this is a major dick move. This is much worse than a player quitting mid season. A player is only one of 13 on the roster. A coach is the coach, GM, and leader. You’re not only leaving the team you recruited high and dry, you’re putting your coaching staff behind the 8-ball as well as giving your employer who has given you bucketloads of money a big middle finger.
 


forever a gopher said:
Assuming this is not health related, count me in the group that thinks this is a major dick move. This is much worse than a player quitting mid season. A player is only one of 13 on the roster. A coach is the coach, GM, and leader. You’re not only leaving the team you recruited high and dry, you’re putting your coaching staff behind the 8-ball as well as giving your employer who has given you bucketloads of money a big middle finger.
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Pardon the pun, of course, with his dad Dick pulling something of the same thing, retiring abruptly. Wasn't that during the course of the season?

I can't bring myself to come down too hard on either of them. Burnout is a real thing. They both worked and coached hard, and a guy can wake up one day and conclude he can't go on.
 


Bad Gopher said:
Pardon the pun, of course, with his dad Dick pulling something of the same thing, retiring abruptly. Wasn't that during the course of the season?

I can't bring myself to come down too hard on either of them. Burnout is a real thing. They both worked and coached hard, and a guy can wake up one day and conclude he can't go on.
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The world has changed. Coaches move abruptly. Elite players have had opportunities to bounce around club teams for a generation. The seemingly abrupt movement is pretty normal in this era and while some adjustments need to be made, everyone in the system is much more able to handle it than they may have a generation ago. If he were bolting pto another team, skewer him. For getting burned out, wish him well in his next move. I look forward to seeing him on TV.
 




Bad Gopher said:
Pardon the pun, of course, with his dad Dick pulling something of the same thing, retiring abruptly. Wasn't that during the course of the season?

I can't bring myself to come down too hard on either of them. Burnout is a real thing. They both worked and coached hard, and a guy can wake up one day and conclude he can't go on.
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Would he reach the same conclusion if he hadn't watched the group he put together stink up the gym for a month? They are pre-season expected to finish 5th in the conference...would he be quitting if the group he put together was the pre season favorite to win the conference?

I'm in the group that thinks it is a chicken shit move. And very selfish. Grind it out, suck it up.
 

60's Guy said:
Would he reach the same conclusion if he hadn't watched the group he put together stink up the gym for a month? They are pre-season expected to finish 5th in the conference...would he be quitting if the group he put together was the pre season favorite to win the conference?

I'm in the group that thinks it is a chicken shit move. And very selfish. Grind it out, suck it up.
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Would Bo Ryan have abruptly retired if he hadn't realized that it was going to be his first season finishing outside the top 4 in the conference? Would Maya Moore have abruptly retired if the Lynx weren't going to put her first losing season on her resume? It happens.

You can assume all kinds of things about people's motivations. I'm going with the words he said unless and until I know different.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Would Bo Ryan have abruptly retired if he hadn't realized that it was going to be his first season finishing outside the top 4 in the conference? Would Maya Moore have abruptly retired if the Lynx weren't going to put her first losing season on her resume? It happens.

You can assume all kinds of things about people's motivations. I'm going with the words he said unless and until I know different.
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Well, in the case of Bo Ryan - he had off the court issues that would have gotten louder if he continued to coach.
Maya Moore was on a mission to free a man from prison and married him…don’t think winning or losing were factors. Guessing if she played they’d be winning.
Bennett can obviously do whatever he wants.
He’s never going to say he quit because he didn’t feel even he could win with this group.
Like I said earlier, earlier, he sounded very envious of Jay Wright. So maybe, even if he had a good team he would have retired.
I just don’t feel you do that a week before teams are playing exhibition games. Especially, a coach! Finish the season. Finish what you started.
 

forever a gopher said:
Assuming this is not health related, count me in the group that thinks this is a major dick move. This is much worse than a player quitting mid season. A player is only one of 13 on the roster. A coach is the coach, GM, and leader. You’re not only leaving the team you recruited high and dry, you’re putting your coaching staff behind the 8-ball as well as giving your employer who has given you bucketloads of money a big middle finger.
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So it would have been better for Bennett to continue serve as HC when his heart isn't in it, thought he wasn't the right person for the job and earn another $3+Million in the process?

He wasn't "given" bucketloads of money. He earned it. Every penny. They didn't have a National Championship Banner before he got there. Now they do, along with some more ACC banners.
 




I am going to take Bennett at his word - that he just decided he didn't want to coach any more in the current environment.

as Ope3 said, if you are not really committed to doing a job, and just show up and go through the motions, that's not fair to the players on the team. they deserve a coach who is willing and able to give the job 100%.

I retired at 66. I could have continued to work - no physical issues. I just got to the point where I simply didn't want to get up every morning and go to work. Now, I was not walking away from a 7-figure salary, but the motivation is the same. If your heart isn't in it, and you can afford to walk away, then walk away.

I have to assume that dealing with NIL and the portal is a royal pain in the butt for coaches - especially if your school maybe doesn't have the fat cats willing to bankroll a big NIL fund.
 

Ope3 said:
So it would have been better for Bennett to continue serve as HC when his heart isn't in it, thought he wasn't the right person for the job and earn another $3+Million in the process?

He wasn't "given" bucketloads of money. He earned it. Every penny. They didn't have a National Championship Banner before he got there. Now they do, along with some more ACC banners.
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100%
 



I think more the issue is there’s no way this “just” hit him. He’s clearly been having second thoughts and some worries if he’s citing the landscape. Seems more the blindside nature and to the players who came there for him, there’s really no way out now with enrollment already started. That’s more who I feel for, not the university or fans. Tough spot for the guys to go lace em up now
 

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