The college basketball world was shaken on Thursday with news that Virginia head coach Tony Bennett would be retiring, effective immediately. Bennett confirmed the news on Friday with a press conference, detailing his reasons for the move.
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope was asked about his reaction to the news of Bennett’s retiring shortly after UK’s Blue-White event on Friday. But first, Pope was asked if he was considering retirement himself.
“Nope. This is as good as it gets,” Pope said.
Pope went on to share his praise for the job Bennett did at Virginia. He said he’s gotten the chance to know Bennett on both a “personal and public level.”
“He is one of the great ambassadors for this game that the game has ever known,” Pope said. “I’m not being hyperbolic right now. He is an extraordinary human being. He has been an incredible leader.”
Tony Bennett Has One of the Greatest Stories in NCAA History
By now, you probably know the story. Tony Bennett’s 2018 Virginia team became the first-ever No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, falling to UMBC. One year later, Virginia returned to the NCAA Tournament, eventually winning the 2019 national title.
“The story that he has written with his teams at Virginia, both one of the epic collapses and one of the greatest responses to an epic collapse ever in basketball,” Mark Pope said. “What he’s been able to do with his guys in terms of having them come, have incredible careers at Virginia, and then going on to have incredible careers in basketball and in other areas in life.”
Pope said that Tony Bennett ran the Virginia program “as first-class as you can imagine.” He also said he had some opportunities to sit with Bennett on the road during the summers and ask him questions.
“He’s one of the iconic figures in college basketball and the sport,” Pope said. “I’m pretty inquisitive so I’d drill him with questions and he’d be patient. I count him as a friend as everyone in basketball should. I’m sure that his legacy and presence will be felt forever. He’s going to be around this game for sure. He’s special. I’m really grateful for him.”
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