Tony Bennett shocked the sports world on Thursday afternoon with news of his immediate retirement from coaching the Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team being broken by the university. This is a shocking development just three weeks before UVA’s season opener.
Tony Bennett is officially retiring from coaching immediately per @UVAMensHoops.
Press conference tomorrow at 11AM when Bennett will speak. No current information on why he’s doing so or who will take his place.
Absolutely shocking. The GOAT. pic.twitter.com/HDbklMT8TB
— Zach Carey (@Zach_Carey_) October 17, 2024
Make no mistake, this is not a planned move. Bennett was at ACC Media Tipoff a week ago discussing this upcoming season. There have always been rumors that Bennett would retire early and that there’s been a succession plan in place. But this happening so close to the season is a sudden development.
Fortunately, there is reporting out there that this decision is not a result of Bennett’s health or the health of anyone around him.
There is no health issue tied to Tony Bennett’s decision to retire on the eve of the 2024-25 season, source confirms to @NBCSports. @GoodmanHoops first reported.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 17, 2024
Given that UVA will tipoff the 2024-25 season in less than three weeks, Virginia will need a new head coach. Presumably, that will be an interim coach for this year before the athletic department makes a decision after the season on who will lead the program into the future.
Bennett’s two associate head coaches are the obvious options to assume the role of interim head coach.
Ron Sanchez
Ron Sanchez is the name that immediately stands out as Bennett’s interim replacement. Sanchez has been on Bennett’s staff at UVA for 11 years despite a five year stint as the Charlotte 49ers’ head coach from 2018-2023. He came back to his position as an associate last offseason. He was also on Bennett’s staff for three years at Washington State before coming to Charlottesville.
Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images
Sanchez, obviously, has Division I head coaching experience. At Charlotte, he led the 49ers to a 72-78 record (39-51 in Conference USA) which included a CBI Championship in 2023. But, after five seasons down in North Carolina, Sanchez returned to Charlottesville as an Associate Head Coach, the position he held from 2016-to-2018.
Sanchez’s experience as a head coach is what makes him the favorite to take on the interim position.
Jason Williford
If Sanchez is not the interim head coach, it will be fellow Associate Head Coach Jason Williford. Williford has been on Bennett’s staff since his hiring in 2009 and was promoted to his current position following the 2017-18 season – when Sanchez left for Charlotte. His first year as an associate was, of course, Virginia’s run to the national championship.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25685483/1247440321.jpg)
Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Williford is also a former Virginia player as he graduated in 1995 following four seasons as a Cavalier. He was a team captain as a senior, made the NCAA tournament his last three years, and was on the 1992 NIT Championship team.
He joined Bennett’s staff in 2009 after four seasons as an assistant at American University and five years as an assistant at Boston University.
One of these two men – both of whom are great individuals and have proven to be quality coaches and leaders – will almost certainly be Virginia men’s basketball’s next head coach.
